9 NEWS interview with CEO John Boulos TRANSCRIPT

Just on 9 News with Neil Breen:Breen: John, in 2014 was the Parramatta hierarchy guaranteeing 3rd party payments to players?Boulos: No certainly not, and you see the full minutes from 2014, we sent the full minutes when we were notified of the story, to the NRL, and we'll continue to work with them on that, certainly the extracts that appear don't create the intent of the discussion, the intent of the discussion was to do things by the books, and as a club we need to continue doing things by the books.Breen: Why were those players (former players like Hayne) paid once their careers had ended at Parra?Boulos: We're investigating that atm, those payments were unknown to us.* on subject of corporate hospitality tickets*Boulos: we reserved corporate hospitality tickets for our commercial partners and anyone we were trying to fo business with.Breen: Did that include 3rd Party providers?Boulos: Yeah, no, its not uncommon to that we look to try and work with all prospective partners, we have many partners that request additional tickets. Now for Round 1, and throughout the year we sell out hospitality a lot, if we don't keep an allocation there to induce new business, we're certainly not working in the best interests of growing our business.Breen: Will Parramatta lose points?Boulos: I can't committ, we are working with the NRL, that's all I can advise. We know there are issues to do with governance over many years, and thats caused through instability, we understand that's been an issue for many years at the Parramatta Eels. What we've comitted to is reform.Breen: Does Steve Sharp need to resign?Boulos: Steve Sharp & the board are leading this change, and therefore should have the responsibility to see this out and we're confident that we can (Breen interrupts)Breen: It shouldn't be that hard though should it? Keep under the cap, put a team on the field, and provide home fans with some hope.Boulos: *laughs* absolutely, it shouldn't be that hard, but unfortunately we are weighted down by some issues of the past and we need to get through them and when we get through them, I'm very confident that as a club what we've got in place will come out of the other side very positively.End

"Gus is great. Respect. But facts before bias. The spine matters. He's still sorting his spine after 5yrs or so. Ours is more settled after a year or so without sugar daddies & Gus' 50yrs of networks.

Ivan Cleary won’t work with him, and the…"

"Not in this case the stepping stone is perfect for them not us why would we be paying market value for that.Demand doesn't fall into this conversation because we've basically given them what they want.
We've just lost an international calibre half…"

Replies

slip March 15, 2016 at 6:56pm

Can Para still lose points? If Parra make the finals, can the NRL deduct points and Parra miss the GF.
- The French Fullback #1 > slip March 15, 2016 at 7:00pm
  
  Who knows. As with Boulos, it's out of our control. We have no say in it, nor do the board. We just have to hope we don't. Meanwhile let's keep supporting the team each week by turning up in good numbers. I don't think, however, that this decision would be made in a further 24 weeks during the finals, it will be well and truly done by then (at least I pray so).
- Nutcracker > slip March 15, 2016 at 7:07pm
  
  I think it's possible but unlikely, I think the threat will be used by the NRL as a motivator to get Parra's cooperation and to move on staff/board members. I think the NRL are likely to ban the involved staff/board members first, which means they'd have to resign.
- The French Fullback #1 > slip March 15, 2016 at 7:10pm
  
  The other thing is this stuff has never helped us succeed. Whereas in the case of Storm/Bulldogs, they used it to gain success and thus losing points seemed very fair as a way of taking some of that away (whether the same year or the following year). This is evident in the Storm playing for NOTHING in 2010 after cheating their way to 2 premierships in 07/09. It seemed fair. But we haven't had any success so taking away 2016 points wouldn't really be "justice" for previous success. That's the only thing in our favour, and that the NRL need Parra to be a powerhouse club due to the amount of support it will generate.
- Dave > slip March 15, 2016 at 7:16pm
  
  Just because Parra's cheating didn't result in success on the field doesn't mean that the punishment shouldn't be administered.
  
  That would be like saying you can take steroids as long as you don't win.
  
  I don't think that Parra's cheating was at the same level as Melbourne who were over $1 million overvthe cap in 2009 and for that reason shouldn't suffer the same punishment but the Eels lack of success is a non issue
- Hell On Eels > slip March 15, 2016 at 7:43pm
  
  Dave, isn't part of our salary cap breaches, from 2014/15 due to payouts of players not playing for the Club ?
  
  E.g. Stuart cleanout late 2013.
  
  If so, it's only a technical argument we're breaching the cap, taking steroids. Getting an advantage.
  
  Realistically, we're taking rat poison & disadvantaged - on a relatively reduced/lower salary cap (part of the cap wasted on non-playing persons).
- Hell On Eels > slip March 15, 2016 at 7:44pm
  
  And.. means we were stupid.
slip March 15, 2016 at 7:02pm

What a diabolical situation. The Parra curse yet again.
Mo March 15, 2016 at 7:25pm

If they do take away points from us than we'll have the 2009 GF Winners trophy thanks. The board in power at the moment I think are trying hard to fix past mistakes.
- macybrown > Mo March 15, 2016 at 7:26pm
  
  Ha there's a point Mo!

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9 NEWS interview with CEO John Boulos TRANSCRIPT

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