ARL Commission chairman John Grant has put the heat back on Parramatta as the deadline for governance reform approaches, insisting the Eels and not the game’s governing body will determine whether the club starts the season minus four premiership points.
Parramatta have until the end of this month to adhere to a series of recommendations resulting from a review of the club by accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. At the same time, the Eels are also the subject of salary cap investigations involving deals with Anthony Watmough and Jarryd Hayne.
It is understood the Eels have indicated they are prepared to fight any sanctions imposed by the NRL. Regardless, the clock is ticking on a club that has been its own worst enemy in recent years.
“We’re in discussions with Parramatta at the moment,” Grant said.
“Parramatta from an administration point of view made a lot of mistakes over the last few years and blew up its salary cap on a number of occasions.
“They need to improve. We all agreed let’s get an independent report, let’s understand what’s going on from a governance point of view, let’s get your salary cap sorted out, when that independent report comes down there is going to be a bunch of recommendations and they’re going to have to be implemented to improve the performance of this club because not only do you put players at risk, but you damage the perception of the game.
“All that is happening is it is coming to a deadline. We’re in constant discussion with them at the moment because we’re quite accepting and understanding that it is a complex governance at the moment.
“But the report is very clear and there needs to be an active process of implementing those recommendations or there needs to be a very clear statement of intent to implement those recommendations.”
Asked about the prospect of Parramatta starting the season four points behind everyone else, Grant said: “We’re not making that decision, they are making that decision.
“They’re making the decision about whether they implement the recommendation of the PWC report. If they don’t implement the recommendations of the PWC report to our satisfaction or to something we agree, then they are actually penalising themselves four points. They know it is there. They have known since the middle of last year.”
The Eels aren’t the only club with some big decisions to make. Wests Tigers are also coming to a crucial point in their history, with the Balmain side of the joint venture facing the prospect of having to sell their share in the club unless they can pay the $5 million owed to the NRL by the end of next month.
“We have put $5 million into that club (Balmain),” Grant said.
“That is $5 million of the game’s money. There is an arrangement where that $5 million needs to be paid back. This is another one of those things where you have to balance things.
“We need to continue to work with Wests Ashfield and Balmain to secure the best outcomes for the club and the game. That’s got a little bit of water to flow under the bridge yet.”
The NRL also has financial investments in the Gold Coast and Newcastle, with Grant saying the game was edging closer to selling both clubs.
Partial sales of both South Sydney and Manly have provided the NRL with a snapshot of what the Titans and Knights may be worth — the Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles are both valued at in excess of $20 million.
“We’re not going to not get the returns we think are appropriate,” Grant said.
“At least, we’re going to get the money back we put in because it is the game’s money. We’re always getting closer. What the new funding agreement has done is make these clubs more viable, and therefore they are more valuable.
“We’re sitting on clubs with the new funding model that are probably worth $20 million-plus now.”
Replies
Oh well.
"Statement of intent" so the NRL acknowledge that not all recommendations can/will be implemented by the start of the season. This is good news. Also intending to do something doesn't mean it actually gets done, use that one when the missus is up me haha.
If we lose 4 points, you lot will be voted out.
I hope they do stand up to the NRL.
Stop airing the dirty laundry like this. Sit down like adults in a boardroom and sort this out. Christ's sake.
At least by winning the nines we will have some money to start paying these fines off.
Why should the players put their hard earned prize money towards something they have absolutely no control of?
From what I being hearing, late November PWC came up with 119 RECOMMENDATIONS, Parra have taken 110 to task. The other 9 are more constitutional which the currant board doesn't really like or nor can they change without an extraordinary general meeting.
My thinking if this is the case, the NRL/ARL are both leaderless at the moment and are defecting the ball away from themselves and using Parra as an escape goat. Most of the crap they are trying to hang on us come from the screw ups of previous boards.
So my way of thinking, F... the NRL/ARL . I want the board to be like our team,
DON'T TOUCH YOUR TOES OR TAKE A BACKWARD STEP FOR ANYONE.!!!!!!
If we lose 4 points, we play harder and go for the throat, of the NRL. Those useless schmucks have over spend and nothing mention, cowboys get houses on the cheap and Routers players have fortunes payed to them, and so on ,and this is all legit?
THINK PEOPLE, WE ARE BEING USED AS A SMOKE SCREEN TO COVER UP THE HEADLESS nrl CRAP.
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