Parramatta’s Daniel Anderson said Watmough contract a disgrace!

Brent Read The AustralianFormer Parramatta head of football Daniel Anderson described Anthony Watmough’s contract as a disgrace and said in talks with NRL investigators that the club’s policy of deliberately exceeding the salary cap was a “horrendously stressful situation”.Anderson, one of five key Eels officials deregistered by the NRL after being found culpable in the club’s salary cap scandal, also revealed during talks with the NRL’s head of integrity Nick Weeks and lead investigator Karyn Murphy that the club would have been “ridiculously” exposed had Jarryd Hayne not left the Eels for the NFL at the end of 2014.At the time, Anderson understood Hayne was earning about $1.2 million a year from the club, some of that money allegedly through dodgy third-party payments. There is no suggestion Hayne was aware of any wrongdoing.“So I never looked at his (salary) cap number,” Anderson said. “I just was told, ‘Yeah, he’s on about $1.2 million’ and went, ‘Oh, well, that’s what he is — he’s the best player in the game’.”Anderson said the club maintained a deliberate policy of exceeding the cap and then working their way back under it by offloading players.Much of the investigation into the Eels focused on the axing of players, with concerns over termination payments made to Daniel Harrison and Reni Maitua.Former chief executive Scott Seward alleged Maitua was paid $25,000 cash to leave, in the form of two payments — one for $10,000 and another for $15,000.He also claimed Harrison was given $20,000 to walk away. Seward claimed that after the payment was made to Harrison, Anderson told him: “I am not doing that ever again. We’re not getting ourselves into this position and doing that ever again.”In his interview with Weeks and Murphy, Anderson was asked whether he remembered the conversation. “That’s not correct,” he replied. “Who — who’s said — can I ask who said this?”Told the NRL would not disclose who had informed them of the conversation, Anderson replied: “No, that’s not correct. I have no knowledge of that.”Seward’s testimony, along with that of former football manager Jason Irvine, played a key role in the findings that led to the club being stripped of 12 premiership points and fined $1 million.Anderson did acknowledge there were issues with the cap during his time at the Eels.“So there was a lack of understanding on the cap,” Anderson said. “So the other repercussion was we were recruiting players and the philosophy we wanted to use — the CEO (Seward) was comfortable with this — was to go over the cap.“You can do that at any stage anyway ... you can be over the cap before an audit. So they were on the philosophy that, ‘just go over by 2,300 (000) and then work your way backwards by selling players. It was a horrendously stressful philosophy.”Anderson said he and the club’s former financial controller Ed Farish spoke regularly about the salary cap position.“As I said ... if Jarryd Hayne hadn’t left the club we were exposed salary-cap-wise ridiculously ...” Anderson said.“It was certainly loose in 2014. The CEO, Scott Seward ... advised that he was going to do the top five contracts. I basically did every other contract other than that.“He didn’t go through a loop of any consultation in negotiation. The Anthony Watmough contract is a disgrace.“l’ve got numbers that were, I think, half what we actually paid, so we were always sort of recovering from bad positions. We thought we were in an OK position salary-cap-wise and then we get the contract and we’d be in a hole again ... ”http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/parramattas-daniel-anderson-said-watmough-contract-a-disgrace/news-story/c2948786b99d7a8ca24cedef0014b538

Replies

sixtiesboy July 15, 2016 at 6:32am

We will continue to be drip fed more of this for a while to come. It won't be ending any time soon people.
- Wayne > sixtiesboy July 15, 2016 at 12:04pm
  
  I don't understand the thinking behind this type of media and why the NRL doesn’t come out and release all its findings in 1 go?
  
  Rather than the NRL just releasing the penalty I believe they need to have a press conference for them to explain some of the main issues and then post all their findings online. This will get everything out in the open at once and not allow the media to publish 1 finding a day for the next few months.
  
  I am sure the media will still continue their campaign but it will surely reduce the time. The constant media attention is not only hurting Parramatta but is also hurting the game as a whole.
Rosemont July 15, 2016 at 6:50am

Yep absolutely to be homest I don't think anyone really cares anymore except. Kent and Tabby
Putty July 15, 2016 at 7:01am

At least with the Austatlian we might get some balanced journalism and get somewhere closer to the truth. I really feel for Dan he has been screwed over by the club again! Got handed the poison chalice after Seward was punted, then had tidy up contracts that were ridiculously written ie Forans - then becomes the fall guy! He is going through some tough times ATM !
- Elvis_the_eel > Putty July 15, 2016 at 7:56am
  
  In my opinion, since the Australian was brought by Rupert Murdoch it has never contained balanced journalism. As with all Murdoch media they do as Rupert tells them and are just out for money making; headlines.
  
  There is some left over culture from before Rupert's purchase but that is all!!
- PartyEel > Putty July 15, 2016 at 12:28pm
  
  The Australian is a Murdoch rag. Balanced journalism is definitely not a part of its ethos.
Alan Hunt July 15, 2016 at 7:26am

After reading this why in the hell did we not come clean??? They all knew we were rorting the cap deluxe???

Instead they continue to fight it chewing up club funds and keeping dragging the clubs name through the mud. It defies belief the stupidity and greed from the clowns who supposedly all about the club and the team lol.
- Sparton > Alan Hunt July 15, 2016 at 8:44am
  
  I reckon they told the nrl Ceo as soon as they found out what seeweed had done , which was a long time before Todd became Ceo
- Glenn Lifetime Eel > Alan Hunt July 16, 2016 at 8:24am
  
  All I can think of Alan is that they think the NRL has got its figures wrong and/or Seaweed manipulated contracts without board knowledge. They are not fighting their suspension. I believe Seaweed was less than truthful in his evidence but the NRL relied heavily on it. From my understanding the club didn't receive all the information from the NRL that they used to levy the sanctions. They are obviously hoping to get the fine and points suspension reduced.
  
  I am not against this as they have to get these TPAs carried over reduced for the future years.
SHIRE.EEL July 15, 2016 at 8:07am

with evidence like this what the fcuk were they appealing ?