Self Reporting - Does Honesty Pay? - Eels Blogs

In the interest of honesty, transparency and good governance the current management of the Parramatta board self reported impending cap issues.This opened the door for the NRL to investigate, in depth, the money that was spent by the club in its football operations. This led to the warnings being issued by the NRL over the selections of particular players, regardless of any mitigating circumstances.The NRL themselves acknowledge that the problems are largely the fault of the previous administration and that the current administration have the 2015 cap in order.So how does the NRL respond to this self reporting?They issue one of the largest fines in NRL history and threaten the loss of future competition points unless the club takes actions recommended by "independent" advisers.I wonder how many other clubs would be so honest with the NRL?Can you imagine what the NRL would find if any other club came to them and said that they have concerns about their own cap? I wonder how many other clubs have self reported?How many would do so now given the NRL's response?We all know that the Cap is not administered genuinely by certain clubs. Playing rosters make this salary cap a joke. Can you imagine the conversation within a club if they discovered that one of their administrators had been responsible for mismanaging their cap? " should we tell the NRL?" Bwahahahahaha!Look at what the media are now focussing on. They are basically ignoring the fact that the house is now in order to even refer to the club as cheats (I believe that this is what Hadley was saying - someone may be able to confirm this).So one has to ask whether the honesty was worth it?For mine, I'm glad that our current administration is this honest.I just wish that it was a level playing field with the honesty of all clubs.FOOTNOTEI am now unsure how to view the Folau debacle. In one respect our previous administration went to the NRL with what we intended to pay and were declined. At the same time the NRL allowed the Roosters to sign SBW and they "fixed" their cap later. However, given the cap issues, I wonder what universe would have allowed us to fit Folau into the cap given the state of our cap back then. What a mess they made!

To continue on from what Mutt has said: Dave Smith is absolutely the worst CEO the game has had. When asked at a press conference during the week if the salary cap was working properly, his response was, "Yes, there isn't a problem." He is kidding right? Right!!?? Every season we have about 4-6 sides apply for dispensation in their second tier cap because of injuries and suspension. That's a quarter of the teams in the competition, every season having to ask the NRL to allow them to field a team. That would indicate the cap is not working.

I think it was Sharp or Seward who gave the example of Taniela Lasalo last season. We traveled to North Queensland with Lasalo as 19th man. The NRL said we couldn't play him. In the warm-up we had a prop go down injured, Mitchell Allgood, our Top 25 contracted 18th man pulled out due to effects of a concussion and we had to make a decision of either fielding 16 players or break the second tier cap. Lasalo played 4 minutes that game and was counted under the second tier cap. We virtually had no option but to play him. Again, that would indicate the current salary cap system is outdated and cannot work with the current structure of the NRL.

"Yep they certainly "could" control outcomes using 6 agains and even just speeding up and down the ruck using verbal commands. There is one thing all humans eventually suffer - fatigue. All nrl teams are capable of taking advantage of it.
Make no…"

"Im not going to sack them based on one game and Rd1 at that , it could very well be the knock back down the Earth that they need after the hype from a good pre season . Sh 1t happens without explanation ..... a horse runs a bad race then comes out…"

"There's no instant gratification fixes happening here we have to grind out improvement and take the rocks along the way Thursday was a set back but hopefully that's out of our system and we can move on.The only time you get a hiding like that is…"

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David May 23, 2015 at 11:53am

It's pretty outrageous. How were we meant to stay under the cap with only 15-16 players (that were fully fit to play during a certain part of the year) if their contracts could not be amended and we need 17 to not forfeit a match?

To field the 17 players meant we had to breach the cap intentionally but the NRL has not acknowledged this mitigating factor and still fines us. Yes at other points in time we had the option to put out of form players like Moimoi in but we were fighting for a place in the 8 and so did that mean that we had to play with an inferior squad and just be less competitive? On the one hand the NRL wants the competition to be more competitive and draw in bigger crowds, but on the other hand their administration is not supporting the clubs that are disadvantaged.

It is a fact that we could have controlled the mismanagement, but we couldn't have controlled the injuries and thus fining us AND forcing recommendations upon us is ridiculous.
- sixtiesboy > David May 23, 2015 at 12:07pm
  
  We could go into the ridiculous amounts of money being paid to certain players. Paying for players under contract elsewhere. Even with that, the second tier cap creates so many problems for clubs during an injury crisis. It is the NRL's job to sort out this issue. As you correctly stated David, the NRL wants a competitive premiership.
  We could never have a competition without a cap, and I wouldn't advocate it, but there once was a time where being graded meant that you could be called up into first grade at any time. Now you have to have an accounting degree to work out if someone is allowed to play. As fans, we have no idea (but that's a whole new can of worms).
Outrunna May 23, 2015 at 12:01pm

Well it looks better on our behalf.we would have been found out one way or another
- sixtiesboy > Outrunna May 23, 2015 at 12:11pm
  
  True. I also admire the Roosters, the Broncos, the Warriors (look at their roster for next year) etc for being so well administered that they will never have to self report.
Muttman May 23, 2015 at 12:07pm

Just on the issue of the NRL insisting on placing Independant Directors on our Board, the NRL has absolutely no power to make this happen. The Leagues Club is governed by the Clubs Act of NSW. Any new Directors need to be voted in by the members, there's no getting around this. I'd like to see the NRL's reaction when our membership votes NO to adding any of their Directors to our Board. What are they going to do, fine the members of the Leagues Club for disagreeing with them? The only option they would then have is not to issue the Parramatta Leagues Club with an NRL licence....yeh good luck with that one.
Once again it's all bluff and noise from the NRL. They have no jurisdiction over such matters. The scary part is they haven't even worked that out yet. They are a crap organisation.
- sixtiesboy > Muttman May 23, 2015 at 12:13pm
  
  Our board won't accept any such action, as you well know Mutt.
- SuperEel 22 > Muttman May 23, 2015 at 12:36pm
  
  To continue on from what Mutt has said: Dave Smith is absolutely the worst CEO the game has had. When asked at a press conference during the week if the salary cap was working properly, his response was, "Yes, there isn't a problem." He is kidding right? Right!!?? Every season we have about 4-6 sides apply for dispensation in their second tier cap because of injuries and suspension. That's a quarter of the teams in the competition, every season having to ask the NRL to allow them to field a team. That would indicate the cap is not working.
  
  I think it was Sharp or Seward who gave the example of Taniela Lasalo last season. We traveled to North Queensland with Lasalo as 19th man. The NRL said we couldn't play him. In the warm-up we had a prop go down injured, Mitchell Allgood, our Top 25 contracted 18th man pulled out due to effects of a concussion and we had to make a decision of either fielding 16 players or break the second tier cap. Lasalo played 4 minutes that game and was counted under the second tier cap. We virtually had no option but to play him. Again, that would indicate the current salary cap system is outdated and cannot work with the current structure of the NRL.
- Prof. Daz > Muttman May 23, 2015 at 1:17pm
  
  Actually, Super, the fact you claim the club had no option but to field Lasalo in that instance is probably an example of the flawed thinking the NRL is talking about. Put simply, why was Lasalo 19th man if using him would likely lead to a second tier cap breach? A club should be on too of circumstances a bit more. That's a pretty reasonable request. Moreover, note Sharp says he went on for 4 mins when we were 40 behind. Holy crap, just suck it up at that moment and go for 12 over the last few minutes. If you have a pattern of constant breaches at some point you have to admit you should have been viewing all the small breaches as not isolated cases each defensible, but as part of a more systemic mismanagement wherein each small breach should have been thought of as another instance of mismanagement.
  
  I'll add here, just in case anyone has forgotten, that I have always stayed out of the board and politics discussions. I have no interest and no inside knowledge or anything like that in such matters. But I know, from a detached standpoint, when it's obvious matters have been handled poorly. This systemic cap breaching is one of those times. Honest fans would say their mea culpa's and get on with it.
Jpav May 23, 2015 at 12:21pm

The club is in the wrong we should accept this and move on.
- SuperEel 22 > Jpav May 23, 2015 at 12:42pm
  
  We should accept the NRL attempting to bully us over mismanagement by previous administration? To accept the threat of a loss of points after we've already instituted structural reform and began constitutional reform? To accept the second largest fine in NRL history after SELF-REPORTING? The NRL is trying to gain control of enough clubs to stave any attempt at another Super League style war. A lot of clubs, Parramatta included, are beginning to get jack of the way the game is being run and now I understand why.

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