Former Eels boss blames player agents for cap mess

Former Parramatta chief executive Scott Seward claimed all player managers should be blown up and blamed them for his demise, according to interviews involving some of the key figures in the Eels’ salary cap scandal.Seward, whose testimony played a major role in the NRL deregistering five key officials for breaches of the salary cap, is painted as an increasingly desperate figure during his stint at the helm of the Eels, when he was allegedly inundated with approaches from player agents seeking the fulfilment of financial promises.Player agents are set to become the central focus of the next phase of the NRL investigation, with the spotlight likely to fall on some of the most influential figures in the game.According to former chairman Steve Sharp’s interview with the NRL integrity unit, among more than 700 pages of transcripts and statements obtained by The Australian, Seward complained about agents when he was asked for his resignation by the club.“No, the only time Scott Seward ever talked to me about player managers was on the day ... I asked him to resign ... the crocodile tears and all that kind of stuff — and he says, ‘Oh, it’s not my fault. The player managers are arseholes. They put me in this situation’.”But the dire view of player managers was mirrored by Sharp himself, who at one stage is alleged to have been involved in a heated dispute with prominent agent Sam Ayoub, who looked after the interests of former Eels Nathan Peats and Reni Maitua.According to former football manager Jason Irvine, whose evidence was also crucial to the investigation, Sharp and Ayoub were involved in an argument while dining over pizza. Ayoub is alleged to have called Sharp a liar before adding: “This joint is a joke. Mate, no, you can’t run a shitfight. This is the most diabolical club. Mate, I deal with all the clubs. this is the worst. You know, you just need to fix this.”Former board member Tom Issa added: “As I said, it was a very, very tough predicament. The meeting dismantled very, very quickly. I think that meeting took a whole five minutes. I don’t know. It was a very fiery meeting to the extent that the chairman and Sam Ayoub had a very serious altercation, and I don’t think they’ve spoken since, actually.”Ayoub wasn’t the only agent to raise his dissatisfaction with the club. At least two leading agents were alleged to have demanded cash from the Eels in return for services for their work in recruiting players.When Seward took notes in a red book he used to keep records of meetings, the former chief executive claimed one manager responded with words to the effect: “Mate, I get really nervous when you write things like that.”Irvine later claimed that club officials were calling player managers earlier this year in an attempt to discredit his testimony.NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg stated in his final response to the club that Irvine’s testimony needed to be viewed with caution except when it was against his interest or corroborated by other sources.“They were calling players and saying: ‘Mate, we’ll fix those bills up and have you got anything on Irvie like that we can dump on him?” Irvine said. “The players managers were calling (me) saying: ‘Irvie, mate, what’s going on there’.” Irvine’s testimony, while viewed under the prism of suspicion, also alleged that a prominent figure at the Eels encouraged one player to siphon money through a charitable foundation in order to circumvent the salary cap.The saga has once again shone the spotlight on the unwieldy nature of the third-party system and the salary cap, both of which are set to be reviewed as part of negotiations with players over a new collective bargaining agreement.The Eels’ investigation appears to suggest player managers are masters at the art of bending the rules. Seward learnt that the hard way. Asked whether he had been provided with documentation by Seward in relation to claims by player managers, Sharp said: “No, he just said I can’t deal with them, they’re a bunch of arseholes and, you know, they should, you know, blow them all up.”Brent Read , The Australianhttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/former-eels-boss-blames-player-agents-for-cap-mess/news-story/f18f4fbc4ef739a740c06cd208cc1ba7

Replies

Wile E. Coyote July 15, 2016 at 6:15am

But the player managers only get illegal TPAs for their players at the Eels.
Jimmy July 15, 2016 at 6:42am

It was at the Firehouse mate. All on the tab.
- Alan Hunt > Jimmy July 15, 2016 at 7:21am
  
  Gee Jimmy i'd love a chunk of this boards tab and what they owe the club, I could retire happily.
Alan Hunt July 15, 2016 at 7:20am

Player managers are a blight on the game, but Ayoub was spot on when he said Sharp couldn't run a shit fight.
Ed July 15, 2016 at 7:23am

I'm glad we got caught least we can clean the shit out including sewerage Seward. When are we getting new board so BA can concentrate on winning footy games.
Rosemont July 15, 2016 at 7:39am

Can't wait for a new board to come in.
- Poupou Escobar > Rosemont July 15, 2016 at 10:37am
  
  Yeah that'll fix everything. New TPAs will appear out of nowhere!
Jimmy July 15, 2016 at 7:57am

Al, only a select few have access to the exclusive gravy train tab. Unfortunately it's not us.
- Alan Hunt > Jimmy July 15, 2016 at 8:00am
  
  Sadly i have at least another 30 years of hard slog, hopefully in that time i can see the Eels win another comp or two. It just shits me how someone who supposedly loves the club can just use it as their personal play thing.
RIDER July 15, 2016 at 8:49am

It was a perfect Storm.

Existing corruption with Seward in full swing. A new board who had little to no real experience and under continual attack by other factions. They finally found the issue and decided to fix it in house.

Until the disgruntled ex employees decided they would get their own back.

But the player managers where the instigators as they had done these deals with other clubs.

And the factions caused it to become known to the NRL.

Surely everyone can see that Parra is the joke only in the way they were caught where other clubs can deal with things in house.