The 7th Tackle: Eels Drama

Apologies if this has been posted but I had not seen it in on the site and I thought it was a good explanation of how this whole drama began. For those thanking Ricky for clearing the dead wood maybe they should think again.

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sport/nrl/news/2016/4/7th-tackle-featuring-josh-massoud-and-liam-cox-round-six/

Tackle Two – The Eel deal on Parramatta

It’s likely none of the players caught up in the latest headlines had any idea where their money was coming from; or how it was being juggled about to make the salary cap work behind the scenes.

That’s certainly Maitua’s story. Eels co-captain in 2013, Maitua had a falling-out with coach Ricky Stuart midway through that season and the pair agreed it was best he played-out the final year of his contract elsewhere.

That turned out to be Canterbury in 2014. The Bulldogs paid Maitua a fairly modest salary, with Parramatta paying him the rest to ensure his contract was fully honoured.

Maitua received all money owing to him from the Eels; and thought nothing of it until this week, when he read about a $25,000 third party payment that was allegedly covered by the club.

Maitua tells us he didn’t know of any third party arrangements that sat alongside his contract with Parramatta. Interesting. He was just one of a dozen players shown the door by Stuart and then-CEOKen Edwards in 2013.

Many of the outcasts had further years to run on their contracts. Parramatta had to carry the value of those contracts in their salary cap going forward; even though the players had moved on.

That put the Eels at a massive disadvantage – perhaps upwards of $500,000. To compete on level terms with the other 15 clubs the club had to find a way of squirrelling some of that money outside the cap, by disguising it as third party deals.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what started the triggered the desperate spiral that now threatens to rob the Eels of competition points.

"Just as important as our Moses inspired attack is our vastly improved defence of late. This team now works together when under threat and repels the opposition like never before. And this is true in all grades thru to our matts. Their is a…"

"There were also times where he got dropped, even a period where he was dropped by Brian Smith for half a season while Burt carved up NSW Cup, like he dominated and Smith wouldn't pick him and still stayed. He was a true club man and a Warrior."

Replies

Wile E. Coyote April 11, 2016 at 11:26am

So Just before leaving for Raiders Ricky failed at the last minute to get Papilli and Hodgson over the line, Suggested Raiders do everything possible to keep Milford and Stuffed our cap so we could not afford to compete with other teams raiding our best prop?
Wile E. Coyote April 11, 2016 at 12:12pm

So is Juniors Raiders contract legit?
- This reply was deleted.
  - Wile E. Coyote April 11, 2016 at 3:19pm
    
    Thanks
Nitram April 11, 2016 at 2:42pm

So kearney resigned and signed players that should probably have been let go or signed for less.

Next stuart came to parra and was like, "oh shit ive inherited a shit team" and proceeded to clean out the team.

Next the parra board shit themselves once they realised they would have an even shitter team because the players let go will take up salary cap anyway and no replacements could be used to fill the void.

So to combat that the board tried to do a dodge using organised tpas to cover those costs so they could field a team (not neccesarily a competitive team at the time).

Makes sense but geez what a cluster fuck!
- Dave > Nitram April 12, 2016 at 1:59am
  
  pretty much summed up what appears to have happened
Mo April 12, 2016 at 1:35am

Legal action against guys like Scott Seward, Ricky Stuart and Ken Edwards might be a good idea? Clubs don't consistently pay players to leave like that period we had with the clean out without very unethical practices.