Andrew Webster in The Australian
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/tripp-of-the-tongue-peter-vlandys-denies-favouritism-towards-melbourne-storm-and-zac-lomax/news-story/414f948cb92878c7c7f6022ac4083bee
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys has slammed talk he wants rugby league outcast Zac Lomaxto join the Melbourne Storm as a favour to their chairman, bookmaker Matt Tripp, declaring: “If there’s one person I wouldn’t help, it would be him.”
As Parramatta and Lomax head towards a showdown in the NSW Supreme Court on March 2, all sorts of theories are getting around about why the NRL has seemingly pitted itself against the Eels.
One is looming broadcast negotiations. A strong Storm is critical. The other is V’landys helping Tripp because of their long-term relationship through racing. Eels officials are conscious of it, even if they haven’t expressed it publicly.
“Matt Tripp took me all the way to the High Court in the race-fields case, which has generated billions of dollars for racing,” V’landys told his column in a lengthy interview this week. “He’s the last person I’d help.”
The Eels are sceptical. They’re expected to argue in court that a phone hook-up involving V’landys, Tripp, Beach, and RLPA boss Clint Newton was more “ambush” than mediation. They will also tell the court the Storm were privy to possible salary cap implications if they did not release Lomax – information that could only have come from the NRL.
From the very beginning of this dispute, their rich leagues club has told Beach and chief executive Jim Sarantinos that it will back them until the bitter end.
Why should they cave in? Lomax told them he wanted a release from the final three years of his deal to play in a competition that appears to have been conceived on the back of a beer coaster.
If Lomax was naive enough to walk away from one contract without any real certainty around the R360 competition, it’s on him.
V’landys bristles at the claim he’s sided with the Storm in this dispute.
“I’m not keen for Zac Lomax to join Melbourne,” he insisted. “He can join whatever club that wants him. If the Wests Tigers want him, I’d be just as happy for him to go them. Or if Manly want him. I just don’t want Zac Lomax to be lost to rugby league.”
Replies
Well if there is clear cut evidence ( emails, texts, phone calls, etc...) then how can he deny these allegations with a clear conscience. I'm sure the Eels legal team are not that incompetent to claim these allegations without any evidence.
Phone calls are harder as you can't prove what was said unless it was tapped. Emails and the rest yeah. Parra had this in their back pocket for a while and were waiting for the final nail to drop and them threatening us with cap penalties was the straw.
Beach and Sarantinos are heavily on top of all this, they would have save everything they could.
One thing is for certain and that is Arthur Moses at the forefront of this. He would not be persuing this to the fullest without having everything in place for an Eels win, this bloke by all accounts is at the top of his game.
Lee Hagipitalis mentioned Arthur Moses as one of the best Barristers he has seen, he has been on the scene for a long time and knows his shit. My wife worked for him for years and though he was dodgy with personal life and not a great person he was a fantastic lawyer and if he says Parra will win, more likely he is spot on.
That's good to know
Interesting that it has now been confirmed as i suggested at the start. That the mediation process between the Eels and the Storm/Lomax had the NRL smack in the middle of it.
There are kick backs coming left right and centre, love this if it finally gets exposed. The unbalanced playing field that occurs behind the scenes with salary caps and player signings is being thrust into the limelight. Those reporters that pretend they are covering league, hang your heads in shame by not writing about it and exposing it for what it is. Scratch my back , scratch your back is there for all to see.
BE how dare you, don't you understand Melbourne are the victims here. Being bullied constantly by NSW media for years and the jealous little brothers, we will take them down for however long it takes. Parra are being unreasonable and should just let Melbourne have Lomax out of good will as they gave us Ryles (with a stipulation of not signing players for 12 months) and Pezet (who was a free agent).
Seriously, people like you that try to make Melbourne the criminals when we should be manipulating the game so they stay good and we get more TV money.......oh wait that seems to be happening constantly.
haha, Sorry Mr Tripp and Mr V'Landys. I gave myself an uppercut and I've now seen the light. Can I now have my brown paperbag full off kick backs please, And I promise i'll toe the line from now on.
Tripp will take it from here now as co-chairman of NRL.
Make no mistake, V'Landys is in this up to his eyeballs. He thought he could simply bulldoze this through. He thought as Chairman of the NRL he had the ultimate authority and could simply decree what was to happen. Sorry Peter, the NSW Supreme Court would like a word. Maybe sit this one out. V'Landys has been caught red-handed favouring one club over another. This is magnificent!!!
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