Explosive courtroom documents obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that the Melbourne Storm asked the NRL to "apply the blow torch" to Parramatta to release Zac Lomax.
A slew of documents released in the Supreme Court revealed that during a phone call between Storm chair Matt Tripp and Eels supremo Matthew Beach on January 13, that the Eels again rejected a $200,000 release fee.
“During the telephone call, Mr Tripp referred to the possibility of punitive steps being taken by the NRL against Parramatta Eels in relation to its salary cap if Parramatta Eels did not agree to the proposal being put forward by the Melbourne Storm,” according to a document the Eels tendered to the court.
“This assertion by the Melbourne Storm was intended or had the tendency to exert pressure on the Parramatta Eels in circumstances where the NRL had never communicated such a stance to the Parramatta Eels.”
It was further revealed that an alleged text from Storm CEO Justin Rodski to NRL CEO Andrew Abdo on January 21 was used to try and have the NRL pressure the Eels into a release.
“Hi Andrew, not getting anywhere at this point, can you apply the blow torch on parramatta [sic] to get this done.
Rodski added: “Lomax staying in the NRL is obviously a win for the game.”
It's what we always suspected. The Storm trying to bully their way into a deal that would favour them. They should be expelled from the competition.
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For once I can honestly say that Im glad we play by the book and don't have hundreds of K's in TPAs extending our cap! Storm poking the bear big time in comparison to our legit spend!
Getting busted before has held us in good stead for this fight. We should be pretty clean...god I hope so. If not, it will come out
Really hoping some journo has enough integrity to ask the Storm just what kind of "punitive salary cap" measures they were proposing or alluding to?
But the optics of this are shocking. Eels lose a rep player which the Storm say if you don't hand him over to us for not much we're going to ask the NRL to punish you even more.
Prof. Daz that question needs to be asked as it puts the integrity of the NRL at a much wider risk, this was not versed in away that implies it has not been done before! or even accounts as a "special request".
The "Bring the Blowtorch" message was as familiar as fuck. This is not a first time ask.
Is there an Aussie analog to american RICO laws? I reckon there is a criminal conspiracy here to be found
Kudos to our club leaders in fighting the good fight. Storm resorting to blackmail and bullying to get their own way. It is all coming out now. If the NRL is a genuine impartial organisation and if the Storm are found complicit in this process, they should come down heavily on the Storm. Point deduction or fine. If the NRL fail to do this, 1EE members need to start a fan led petition across all fans to remove Vlandys
But Eelovution NRL showed their cards already by siding with this rubbish convo that the storm felt easy about discussing with them already!! happy to ignore the contract release terms we have registered and in place.
it's absolutely disgusting!
thank God we have the kahunas to fight for whats right.
"If the NRL is a genuine impartial organisation"...good joke you put in there Eelvo
1EE members need to start a fan led petition across all fans to remove Vlandys
Agreed. Let's wait on court then start a blog for tactics,and submissions
@eelvolution
I wonder if right now the most effective thing we could do, as a large independant active supporters group, would be to pen & send open letter to to our leadership expressing our admiration for and solidarity wit the stance they have taken. Pump their tyres.
Thoughts?
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