Parramatta officials are seething over the NRL integrity unit's inconsistent sanctions after they were punished for being upfront about the indiscretion of a recruit still contracted to South Sydney.
Bali low: Parramatta hooker Nathan Peats. Photo: Getty Images
The governing body has re-opened its latest investigation, which centres around claims Rabbitoh Luke Burgess paid an Arizona bouncer to ensure charges levelled against him were dropped. Burgess was an employee of Souths at the time but, should a suspension be handed down, his new club, Manly, will be made to suffer.
The Eels are familiar with the situation, going back to an incident involving a Rabbitoh recruit of their own. Nathan Peats pushed a female acquaintance at a friend's wedding in Bali while still on the Bunnies' books in October 2013, sparking a brief altercation with guests.
Witnesses said the hooker was harassed by the woman in the lead-up and the pair obviously knew each other. The woman's father, a police officer, made a complaint directly to the NRL but the Eels were oblivious to the incident until they attempted to select him for round two of last year. Parramatta conducted their own investigations into the matter, consulting with the integrity unit all the way through even though they had not received the original complaint. Despite the fact no charges were laid, the NRL handed down a four-match penalty and $10,000 fine, with three matches and half the fine suspended.
While Eels powerbrokers declined to comment, they are fuming that other, more serious incidents, have not been treated accordingly.
The club has a further gripe with the integrity unit after it refused to clear prop Richie Fa'aoso to play in Friday night's trial against Wests Tigers in Alice Springs. It was poised to be the journeyman prop's comeback, one of the most remarkable in the 107-year history of the game, after a broken neck appeared to force him into premature retirement.
The Eels had sought the opinions of several renowned specialists who had green-lighted Fa'aoso's return. That information was passed on to the NRL but, rather than having it scrutinised by medical experts – the governing body is yet to find a replacement for outgoing chief medical officer Ron Muratore – it was left to the integrity unit to decipher. The blue and golds were forced to again scratch Fa'aoso just before kick-off after further delays at head office.
Other clubs are also perplexed by the increasingly haphazard penalties being handed out by head office. Mitchell Pearce failed to leave a licensed premises and was fined $10,000 and made to stand down for one game. It effectively became a $100,000 fine when he was subsequently overlooked for the lucrative State of Origin series. NSW captain Paul Gallen wasn't charged with assault but had to shell out $50,000 for a drunken tweet, although $15,000 of the fine was suspended on appeal.
Replies
This administration is just getting worse and worse. Letting Gallop go was the worst thing that has happened to our game since super league
I agree. Gallop did a lot for the game. We should never have let him go to the round game.
I suspected as much... haven't seen or heard much about Richy. It's unfortunate.
Also - I read a few weeks back about an 'altercation' where a Roosters player punched a man in the face out side a night club in Sydney and broke the guys nose. That one was swept under the rug
Fa'aoso wants to play for Parra again. Ben Ross was never wanted by Parra!
Let him play for us for fark sake!!!
Probably scared of another 'Rise for Alex'
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