Eels Blogs

Nick McKenzie, Kate McClymont, Richard Baker  - Sydney Morning Herald

Despite promises to "cooperate fully" with NRL investigators, the Manly Sea Eagles are refusing to hand over laptops to the league's salary cap auditors.

The behind-the-scenes tussle over access to the laptops stems from a dispute as to whether the NRL investigators are entitled to examine privately-owned laptops as opposed to club-issued ones.

                                              NRL investigators descended on Manly headquarters on Wednesday. Photo: Daniel Munoz

"Manly claims it has nothing to hide but they are refusing to give the full access they have promised in the media. It is a joke," a source said.

Manly is claiming that it is not lawfully obliged to give the personal computers to the NRL integrity unit.

                                                                   Sea Eagles owner Scott Penn has said the club would fully cooperate with the NRL's investigation. Photo: Daniel Munoz

However, according to its rules, the NRL Integrity and Compliance Unit can seek access to laptops, computer hard drives, smartphones, tablets and other devices. The rules also state that clubs are required to provide the necessary passwords.

It is understood that a senior club official, who has been identified in separate NSW police investigations as the likely architect of the suspected salary cap breaches, is supporting Manly's refusal to hand over personal laptops.

The Sea Eagle's refusal to hand over laptops could lead to sanctions, a court battle and a lengthy stand-off between the NRL and the club.

"Our lawyers are engaged in a discussion with Manly over the material they are seeking," an NRL spokesman told Fairfax Media.

                                                                   NRL CEO Todd Greenberg met with Manly officials on Tuesday. Photo: Daniel Munoz

For its part, a spokesman for the club said: "The NRL has advised us that this is a confidential investigation process. Accordingly, I am sure you understand the club is unable to comment on matters relating to the NRL investigation process."

Earlier this week, the Manly Sea Eagles majority owner Scott Penn implored the NRL's integrity unit to produce any information they have that suggests a breach of the competition's salary cap rules after investigators descended upon the club's Narrabeen offices.

Fairfax Media recently revealed that the club was under a cloud over allegations that several high-profile Manly players may have taken secret benefits or payments in cash in breach of salary cap rules.

Integrity unit investigators arrived at the club's headquarters on Wednesday armed with a written request for reams of emails and other documentation.

After investigators arrived, Penn said the visit had been arranged by him after he met with NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and chief operating officer Nick Weeks on Tuesday.

"We've got nothing to hide," Penn said. "[I told them] 'if you've got something we should be worried about let's bring it out'.

"[The investigators] came down with a very large letter of information that they want so we're working through that at the moment and working with the integrity unit guys. We're asking how do we narrow this down a bit?

"We don't want to distract our staff unduly therefore 'can you narrow the range of information?'. Are we going back a year, five years? If we don't narrow the focus it could take months."

But Fairfax Media can reveal that Manly has been blocking requests to hand over laptops which the NRL is arguing it needs to examine in order to complete its investigation.

The information about Manly's suspected salary cap breaches has been obtained during the NSW Organised Crime Squad's ongoing investigation into allegations of match-fixing.

Strike Force Nuralda was established in September last year to investigate allegations of match-fixing that had rocked the code.

The investigation found no evidence of systemic match-fixing but it has uncovered a lucrative trade in inside information, which is itself a criminal offence. On top of that, detectives have also been informed of a number of potential salary cap breaches with undisclosed third-party payments being made to players from a number of clubs, including Manly.

The strike force has been aided in its investigation by the NSW Crime Commission, which has used its extraordinary powers to compel players, officials and others to give evidence in camera.

Over the past month, several high-profile current and former Manly players have been called to give evidence at the Crime Commission's Kent Street offices.

It is understood that intelligence has been gathered about a large sum of cash being handed over in a car park to a then Manly player. Another star Manly player is also the subject of allegations involving undisclosed player payments.

This week the NRL offered immunity to Manly officials in exchange for coming clean over potential breaches.

Sources have told Fairfax Media that the NRL's integrity unit has approached at least two current Sea Eagles officials suspected of having knowledge of undeclared player payments, and encouraged them to come clean.

The officials have been told they can take advantage of a moratorium period in which penalties are waived to encourage full disclosure.

Should Manly agree to co-operate fully, the NRL's code of conduct can grant a moratorium period for full and complete disclosure. In return, the NRL can waive potential fines and loss of points.

To date, Manly officials have been bullish in rejecting any suggestion of wrongdoing.

"There are no allegations in relation to any irregularities with regard to the club's salary cap," the club said in a press release responding to Fairfax Media's revelations that the club would be the subject of an integrity probe."