Parramatta Eels promise to fight points deduction if club is hit for salary cap breach (the Supreme Court...again? Really?)

PARRAMATTA chairman Steve Sharp is promising Supreme Court action should his club be stripped of competition points, saying: “We’ve exhausted ourselves to make this right”.Despite opening the NRL season in 20 days, the Eels are yet to learn if they will be docked four points by the governing body for salary breaches.Elsewhere, the club’s football department was also shown to have recorded a loss of $8 million in 2015, putting them deeper into the red than any rival.Worryingly, the financial dramas come as the Australian Rugby League Commission is warning all club’s have two years to become profitable or risk losing their licence.Yet speaking with The Daily Telegraph, Sharp insisted the Eels football department would be “self-sufficient” by 2018.The chairman was also confident his club, already buoyed by a shock Auckland Nines title, would start the season on zero points.“But I’ve always been confident of that,’’ Sharp said. “If we were sitting around on our hands doing nothing then, yes, penalise us.“But we’re spending all our time and resources on getting this right.“Staff here have exhausted themselves to make this right. We’re working hard and we hope the NRL acknowledges that.”Parramatta have asked the NRL to complete its findings within the next seven days so their players have adequate time to digest the findings.Parramatta chairman Steve Sharp says they club has done everything to get its finances right.And if the penalty stands?“If it does — and we don’t think it will come to that — we’d fight,’’ Sharp continued. “Supreme Court.“Obviously I’m a Parramatta man and love the club. But starting on minus four points ... I just don’t think the game needs that sort of drama.”Earlier this week, The Daily Telegraph revealed the football departments of all 16 NRL clubs had lost a combined $42.7 million in 2015.Only three clubs — South Sydney, Brisbane and the New Zealand Warriors — made a profit last season while Parramatta and Penrith lost a combined $14.4 million.Yet Sharp pointed out that, despite his club’s deficit, the Parramatta group was in an extremely strong financial position, with the Leagues Club turning a profit of $12 million.The chairman added that of the $8 million deficit, $1 million was injected into juniors, $600,000 in a development program and over $1 million used to create the new Eels training centre at North Parramatta.There was also a $460,000 salary cap fine plus additional money then spent on governance review costs.The Eels’ season got off to a flying start at the Auckland Nines.“So we’re investing in the club’s future,’’ Sharp said.“We’ve gone from training on a ground where dogs would run through ballwork sessions to a state-of-the art facility where everything is under the one roof.“Gym, sprint tracks, kitchen, wrestling rooms, training fields with video cameras ... there’s even space for the players to watch TV or have a kip.“We’ve come through a turbulent period but Parramatta is most definitely here to stay.”Incredibly, the past week has actually been an outstanding one for the Eels, who not only won the Nines but had Jarryd Hayne confirm that, should he return to league from the NFL, it will be with his beloved Blue and Golds.The statement was a huge show of support for both the Eels and coach Brad Arthur.http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/parramatta-eels-promise-to-fight-points-deduction-if-club-is-hit-for-salary-cap-breaches/news-story/1667c2b8a5a1064d984bc4ec9e785a71

My take:
1) Seems like Sharp is trying to go the "we've done everything we could" line here with the "exhausted" being used to describe the people working on this
2) Buzz Rothfield (for all it's worth) today tweeted that he thought we "should be sweet" and avoid the -4. Only Buzz though
3) HONESTLY > boys, just make the changes requested and move on. They surely realise that fighting constututional reform etc will be redundant as they will be voted out if they let this happen? In which case the 3 year election change would probably be brought in anyway by the NRL in a few years time. Let it go, accept the changes, and don't short change every person involved with the club bar yourselves by fighting it and losing -4. If they don't realise that -4 = voted out we really are in trouble. Hope it doesn't come to that!

"Isn't that Monster Olakau'atu usually on the right edge (up against Dylan-Lane) ? Turbo, Waddell & co. would still like their chances on Sanders' edge (with Matto and Penisini) assuming there aren't some switch-a-roos."

"Expecting a dig in the first 20 or 30, then dropping off after that. Players will always speak publicly how they support BA. I mean how did the last guy fare who openly questioned the coach. Oh yeh, he's playing for Manly tonight and might have a…"

Replies

Kurupt February 11, 2016 at 10:08pm

Who wrote this shìt?
- No LabeeL > Kurupt February 12, 2016 at 6:29am
  
  Yeah what garbage!
  Nice bantz kurupt, i enjoy your wity banter.
The French Fullback #1 February 11, 2016 at 10:10pm

My take:
1) Seems like Sharp is trying to go the "we've done everything we could" line here with the "exhausted" being used to describe the people working on this
2) Buzz Rothfield (for all it's worth) today tweeted that he thought we "should be sweet" and avoid the -4. Only Buzz though
3) HONESTLY > boys, just make the changes requested and move on. They surely realise that fighting constututional reform etc will be redundant as they will be voted out if they let this happen? In which case the 3 year election change would probably be brought in anyway by the NRL in a few years time. Let it go, accept the changes, and don't short change every person involved with the club bar yourselves by fighting it and losing -4. If they don't realise that -4 = voted out we really are in trouble. Hope it doesn't come to that!
Gray Fox February 11, 2016 at 10:13pm

Court action is the last thing this club needs, even if it's ruled in our favour. This distraction would last the whole year.
Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown February 11, 2016 at 10:13pm

Sharpie this time im with the STFU crowd, why make threats to the NRL and get their back up, and the minus 4 points is now resting on proposed constitutional change, just get it done Steve and quit the talking.

Its as simple as this, if we finish on minus 4 you and the board will probably be voted out, just fix it mate.
1Eyed Eel February 11, 2016 at 10:49pm

I'm not even going to say a word...
- craig marsh > 1Eyed Eel February 11, 2016 at 10:51pm
  
  I am. A word...
- Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown > 1Eyed Eel February 11, 2016 at 10:52pm
  
  lol
- Hell On Eels > 1Eyed Eel February 11, 2016 at 11:37pm
  
  If only Sharp would say the same thing ..
  
  Oh boy, I thought Tony Abbett was embarrassing ..
Hell On Eels February 11, 2016 at 10:56pm

Putting aside Sharpie's threatening Litigation, adding drama & fuel to the fire , distracting us from the real issues ..

Does anyone know how far we are from meeting the NRL's demands ?

Is the main item we're falling down the constitutional change demanded we are resisting ? What else ? Watmough TPA drama , done ?

There's not much time left. If we are "exhausted" that doesn't sound promising.

Sharp & co. is not leaving the NRL with much choice .