The NRL have sensationally deregistered Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe from the game over alleged salary cap breaches dating back to 2016.
A two-month ARL Commission investigation found the Tigers entered an agreement to pay club legend Robbie Farah to act as an ambassador of the club when he retired from playing.
The agreement was signed in 2016 in a goodwill gesture from Pascoe to Farah when the veteran hooker departed Concord for South Sydney on controversial terms.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg declared the payments needed to be disclosed and should have been included in the salary cap.
There is no suggestion Farah had knowledge of any wrongdoing.
The NRL has proposed a fine of $750,000 and the Tigers will be penalised $639,000 of their 2019 salary cap - the full value of the ambassadorial agreement.
Pascoe has 30 days to respond to the breach notice.
If the penalties are upheld, the Tigers may be forced to move on players to be salary cap compliant next season.
A similar situation unfolded at Parramatta in 2016 when the club was plagued by their own salary cap scandal, releasing Junior Paulo to Canberra and Nathan Peats to Gold Coast.
The Tigers have vehemently defended the allegations and plan on fighting the sanctions.
''The club is shocked with the decision and extremely disappointed in the process,'' a club statement wrote.
''It is an arrangement that Wests Tigers had with Robbie that is unrelated to his career as a player. The club does not know if he is going to take it up and Robbie has not indicated his intention in return.
''The reason the ambassadorship was offered in November 2015 is that then new CEO Justin Pascoe felt that the club had disrespected Robbie and this was a way to show him the respect that Justin felt he deserved as a Life Member and club legend due to the overwhelming support Robbie had at the time from Members and fans.
''Most importantly Wests Tigers derive absolutely no advantage from this arrangement. It is not tied in any way to Robbie’s playing contract.
''Wests Tigers are particularly concerned about the wrongful attack on the integrity of the club’s CEO. For the last three years Justin has shown nothing but respect for the NRL and the salary cap.
''The club will be vigorously defending this.''
The announcement of the findings were made at the same time Greenberg declared Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has been deregistered with immediate effect.
Flanagan has been banned after violating the terms of his 2014 suspension in the wake of the supplements saga.
The Sharks are also facing a $400,000 hit after having a portion of their $1 million 2014 fine suspended.
He will likely be given 10 days to appeal the decision.
Replies
Parrastew, actually Slater was the only one not to sign 2 contracts.
Nice.
I hope that I haven't spoken too soon ;)
Flanagan has always seemed a shifty and shady kind of bloke IMO.
What's the difference between Pascoe promising Farrah an Ambassador role with the club after retirement, and Politis promising Cronk an MBA after retirement?
Both offer incentives to currently take less, for a better future in life after football? Both dodgy and should be considered under the cap. How do the Roosters get off and the Tigers CEO gets fired?
I'm happy with the NRL making a stance, but at least make it a fair one.
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