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.
Replies
I suspect they've done it before and it worked; so they do it again until someone has the balls to *uck them off
They've been doing it all day ref...time for a send-off
The effects of Sunlight can be spectacular....there will be scapegoats pegged out but hpoefully the crocodiles knoe exactly who needs feeding on....Tooth & Claw for all involved
We now know why the Storm and NRL are so keen to wrap this up quickly. It's showing that there is an understanding between the big clubs and the NRL that you can bully perceived smaller clubs into decisions. I want the Storm added to this case. Then if we get further evidence of collusion between the Storm and NRL, we should be calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the NRL. You can't have the head of a commercial sport actively manipulating player rosters to benefit different sides. This is verging on plain as day corruption.
Somewhat ironically, it'd be the gambling industry that would have a dog in this fight.
Hard to see how V'Landys reputation is going to survive this obvious evidence of favoritism. We just have to imagine the absurdity of V'Landys only available options for defending the favouritism:
1) Making the Storm the victim, which on ladder position track record is self-evidently absurd, not to mention involving V'Landys setting a public precedent that he supports those breaching contracts not those honoring them.
2) Martyr Lomax. Which will torch everything V'Landys has said or might say in future about players breaking contracts, seeking R360 placement, etc.
It's literally a PR disaster for V'Landys and his only real means out of it is to break bread with the Eels and give them his support.
Super, when I read "parliamentary inquiry into the NRL" my I got so hard I almost fainted. That is how the Blowtorch goes up their own arse
Tripp Out
Pack-ya- Bags Pete
Adios Andy....it was shit, but we will quickly forget the lot of you
That's why I've always said the big clubs get bigger and small ones stay just that, plain and simple it's corruption.
I've told this story before, back in the day I drove Hire Cars (Chaffeur Service) few days before the Eels v Storm GF I picked up a customer from the NRL HQ and he went on to tell me that the Storm were over the salary cap but nothing will be done about till the following year, reason he gave was there was too much money to lose (tv rights, tickets and so on). Small clubs are just tadpoles in a big ocean.
Yes and let's not forget Matt Tripps business background...
You forgot to put the " " around Tripps "business"
Also interesting to see that it's possibly the Storm who initiated this framing of "best to keep Lomax in game". V'Landys then repeating that framing, which reversed his previous stance that no player is irreplaceable, definitely suggests the NRL has sided with the Storm. After the NRL approved the restraint, it's doubly a case of the NRL reversing themselves.
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