I know most of us couldn't give a rats a$$ about the Sharks but in trouble they are !!!
SOME Cronulla Sharks directors have had their mobile phones confiscated by the NRL integrity unit as part of the investigation into the club’s potential salary cap breaches.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal some directors reluctantly handed over their phones to the NRL on Monday morning.
It is a dramatic development in the NRL’s ongoing examination into Cronulla’s alleged salary cap irregularities during 2015 and 2017.
“Unfortunately, I’m not able to make any comment as the investigation by the NRL is ongoing and confidential,” Sharks chief executive Barry Russell said.
One well-placed source said the investigation must be “hotting up” if phones had been seized.
The NRL would not comment yesterday.
Sharks officials remain concerned about what occurred in 2015, particularly now the NRL potentially has mobile phone evidence.
It is unknown whether then Sharks CEO and now Manly chief executive Lyall Gorman had his phone taken. He was not at Manly’s Narrabeen headquarters on Monday.
Some Cronulla Sharks directors have had their mobile phones confiscated by the NRL.
Cronulla’s salary cap drama broke in August when Russell self-reported what was a possible salary cap breach.
The NRL has made the probe a priority but is yet to nail down any final findings.
It is understood the NRL has been investigating Cronulla for six months.
Russell turned up suspicious and historic payments during a club-instigated governance review and immediately informed the NRL integrity unit.
In August, the NRL also impounded a number of servers.
The NRL has no timeframe for when it hopes to finalise and announce its findings.
At the time, it was thought the breach could be more than $250,000.
The Daily Telegraph reported in August that the investigation centred around undeclared third-party payments last year after the value of players increased considerably following Cronulla’s 2016 premiership win.
There is no suggestion coach Shane Flanagan’s mobile phone was taken.
The NRL had wanted several Cronulla officials to give evidence.
When the cap drama first surfaced, NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said Flanagan, Gorman and former chairman Damian Keogh would be asked to front the NRL.
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2018 squad: Aaron Gray (2019), Aaron Woods (2021), Andrew Fifita (2022), Ava Seumanufagai (2019), Billy Magoulias (2019), Braden Uele (2019), Chad Townsend (2020), Jack Williams (2020), James Segeyaro (2018), Jayden Brailey (2019), Jayson Bukuya (2020), Jesse Ramien (2018), Joseph Paulo (2018), Josh Dugan (2021), Kurt Capewell (2019), Kurt Dillon (2018), Luke Lewis (2018), Matt Moylan (2021), Matt Prior (2020), Paul Gallen (2018), Ricky Leutele (2018), Sosaia Feki (2019), Scott Sorensen (2019), Valentine Holmes (2019), Wade Graham (2019)
2019 gains: Josh Morris (Bulldogs)
2019 losses: Jesse Ramien (Knights), Edrick Lee (Knights), Ricky Leutele (Toronto Wolfpack), Kurt Dillon (Rabbitohs), Luke Lewis (retirement), Joseph Paulo (St Helens)
How have the Roosters been getting away with, not cheating?
Its actually an old story about an issue that Barry Russell self reported. It happened when he first got in a few months ago and regards a 3rd party payment made to Luke Lewis
As usual nothing will happen apart from a few small fines.
GreenTurd has already cleared them .
I heard the Eels are keen to start talking to Shane Flanagan for 2020.
Was in a media report yesterday. Next year will be his tenth as coach of the sharks and they believe that's long enough for a coach to be at the club.
Of interest though is that Flannagan after he played for the eels for three years as a hooker and was not a bad one either, later he had applied at least twice when the eels coaching position came up. but missed out.
Nothing to see here, move along...