NRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zimeric]

I really really feel for the players..
A lot of people have come out and said that they are complicit in this but i think they may not have been aware of it, certainly not all of them..
the club has all sorts of other expenses so they could've been paying their players a certain amount on standard salaries and then throwing money at all the other things they needed to get done, advertising, 3rd party incentives, cars, accommodation etc..

If i were a player and i was told that i had to play a whole season for nothing more than my wages, i would certainly be looking at why i should be putting in 100% every week. If i was off contract i would be running for the hills (or Sydney or Union )
If i was thinking about moving to the Storm i certainly wouldn't be now.

Another thing i was thinking about was if Melbourne are doing it then SURELY other teams are too.

[shasta]

Another thing i was thinking about was if Melbourne are doing it then SURELY other teams are too.

If we are realistic, it probably goes on in all pro sports (and lots of other endeavouirs) in one form or another. Has done since Rugby went professional and probably before that. Players "working" for breweries, as poker machine "mechanics" etc, etc. in the shamateur days. Anyone really believe the other S14 franchises were truly hands off in player sponsorships? Anyone believe all those amateur players spent years in France and Italy because they enjoyed the vino and pizzas?

The NRL are just the first body I know of who are tackling the problem by being so hard that clubs will probably stop because the punishment is harsh enough to be a deterrant.

Maybe.

[Burgs]

I heard an extended interview on PM last night with the ABC mungo expert in Melbourne and he suggested that the players may well not have known what was going on or that it exceded the total cap as each player is officially unaware of what the next player is getting, only the player, his agent and the Club Officials are privvy to contract arrangements.
However, if there is evidence of two income streams then the gig is up.
I would imagine there will be some legal questions for the person paying all this extra to answer as well, you would think there would have to be something about not bringing the game into disrepute or engaging in arrangements outside of the NRL guidelines or the like.
I think this has got a long way to go past this 24 hour media cycle.

[shasta]

However, if there is evidence of two income streams then the gig is up..

Possibly not. I seem to remember something from the Bulldogs mess where players don't actually get a brown paper bag payment. The manager ties up all the payments, sponsorships, appearance fees etc and then doles them out to the player. Maybe that gives them plausible deniability? The word "fraud" is being bandied around this one too. Maybe that covers such shenannigans?

I think this has got a long way to go past this 24 hour media cycle

Yep. Sounds like it's gonna become a police matter. Ex's bosses are getting a mention too.

[Burgs]

Couple of interesting articles (for once, pretentious twats normally these days) over on the Roar about it. Many of the same questions raised as here.
They are saying there is already a breach of $700k over the salary cap for this year, as I read it, surely that would mean action must be taken on the current squad before fielding another team this Round?

[palitu]

Why do people keep saying that they wont play 100%??

there would be blokes in the team who will get blooded and they will be playing for the experience and chance to play professional mungo.

The force are out of the season, i wouldn't expect less than 100%, and i dont think that Melbourne will play less. I would expect the youngens to play, but i dont think they will try less at all.

[blueandblack]

... The word "fraud" is being bandied around this one too. Maybe that covers such shenannigans?
...

That came to mind this morning.

[zimeric]

Why do people keep saying that they wont play 100%??

there would be blokes in the team who will get blooded and they will be playing for the experience and chance to play professional mungo.

The force are out of the season, i wouldn't expect less than 100%, and i dont think that Melbourne will play less. I would expect the youngens to play, but i dont think they will try less at all.

The Force have Pride to play for and their Fans and to avoid the wooden spoon.. all three very incentivising reasons to keep playing hard..
the Storms fans will be/ have been expressing their disgust in very visible displays - i doubt many will turn up to their games for the rest of the season (if they even play)
There will be no pride in the team, thats a given.
and there is no way they cant get the spoon if they cant earn points by winning so whats the point of winning.
(i spose you could argue they might have self pride - but thats just about it)

[fulvio sammut]

Never mind this Mungo bullshit.

When are they going to sort out the real issue. Cottesloe rorting the finals series last year and cheating to win a premiership?

[zimeric]

haha talk about a thread hijack!

[jargan83]

They are saying there is already a breach of $700k over the salary cap for this year, as I read it, surely that would mean action must be taken on the current squad before fielding another team this Round?

I believe that is why they cannot gain points for this years competition given that have cheated this year as well as previous years

When are they going to sort out the real issue. Cottesloe rorting the finals series last year and cheating to win a premiership?

I think that could be beyond the NRL's realms of juristiction

[Burgs]

But the players will play on and distort the rest of the season.
Hypothetically, imagine if (you are St George I recall?) Darius Boyd or Matt Cooper got injured by a player who is later found to be one who is in breach of the Cap and complicit in all of the above. It may not change the result but the incident should never have occurred.

On that front, Storm can't get points but does that mean it is a forfeit win to the opposition or they only get the points if they actually win?

Let it go Fulv, let it go

[shasta]

Ah, nothing like a magnificent obsession.

Yer gonna have to let it go, Fulvio. It was within the rules at the time, even if the rules were slightly reinterpreted to suit.

EDIT: Beat me to it Burgs.

[jargan83]

On that front, Storm can't get points but does that mean it is a forfeit win to the opposition or they only get the points if they actually win?

Opposition teams will only get the competition points if they win. The Bulldogs continued with an "illegal team" in 2002 but they were able to gain competition points but that breach was discovered late season so the NRL were able to just strip them of point accrued to that date which was 37 points.

I am glad that the NRL is not retrospectively awarding Premierships for 2007 and 2009 (Manly and Parramatta) because this goes beyond two games

[Burgs]

Wonder what the Leeds Rhino's have to say about it all (defeated for the World Club Championship '09)?