Eels Blogs

According to reports, it’s a fait accompli that the Eels will lose premiership points and that will be just and fair. Andrew Webster’s opinion column yesterday, contained this worrying point of view: “Can you imagine the embarrassment to the NRL if a side that's been found guilty of clandestinely dodging the cap reaches the finals or even wins the premiership?”

Let’s get one thing straight. Based on the information presented up until this point, any points penalty given to the Eels will be grossly unfair to this side, its coaching staff and supporters of the club.

The goal of any penalty should be that it has a direct correlation to the wrongdoing. While the meddle of media-based evidence is near impossible to accurately decipher, presented out of context and in partial form, to my mind, there has been nothing that has come to light that suggests this Eels side was assembled unfairly or that Parramatta has been advantaged for the present season. In 2016, we are assured we are under the cap and even have left space if some wrongly managed third parties need to be included in-cap.

As far as I can see, the only real contract at issue is Anthony Watmough’s, who, let's remember hasn’t even started a game for us, yet. Even that TPA was registered. I’ve been told by members of the board that even if the NRL deems these investigated TPAs as “on cap” we’re still under for this year.

All of the information that is most damaging is historical. It relates to season’s past. The players involved have moved on from the club and the sums were relatively minor in any case. Had the club self-reported them at the time of, or immediately after, the initial salary cap breach, it’s likely there would have been no additional penalties.

Certainly, despite media hyperbole there has not been evidence of the kind of “systematic cheating” as was the case with the Melbourne and Bulldogs breaches. Those two cases cannot even compared, so let’s take those off the table.

So our only real comparison is the Warriors breach in 2004/2005 if we’re looking for precedent and the Titans 2013 four points suspended penalty. The Warriors were deducted four points at the start of 2006 the season for undisclosed payments of over $1 million across two years, with almost all of those breaches presumably related to players in its 2006 roster, the season from which the points were deducted.

Already, we’re dealing with an order-of-magnitude difference to what has taken place at Parramatta, based on current evidence. We’re not anywhere near those numbers, nor do they directly relate to the current roster.

The Titans received a four-point suspended penalty over Scott Prince’s contract. Again, he was still playing for the club, but the suspended penalty gave the Titans the chance to address management issues, as the NRL attempted to do so with the Eels.

The strongest argument for a points penalty is the fact that it comes off the back of the initial four-points suspended penalty and represents repeat offences, but again, these all seem to be historical errors that occurred prior to the review. As much as I’m a biased Eels die-hard, to me, a points penalty just does not seem the right way to deal with this, based on either precedent or logic.

None of which is to say, we haven’t broken the rules. Clearly, we have. Clearly, people within the organisation did the wrong thing. Maybe those people have left the club, maybe they haven’t. You can debate whether it was deliberate or just dumb, and you can point the finger at this person or that, but already too much has come to light for the Eels to claim they are blameless.

Clearly, there needs to be a consequence.

But let’s remember, THE CLUB was already punished for breaches within the timeframes prescribed. THE CLUB has already agreed action to reform some of the mismanagement and process failure that caused the problems in the first place.

To my mind, what we’re primarily left with is disclosure from individuals. Quite clearly, in light of the previous salary cap dramas, the people left within our club should have ensured we exited that process squeaky clean. It was a chance to sweep the joint clear of all the problems that may have been residual from what we know were many years of poor management. After all, added to the four-person board - under whose watch the previous problems arose - was a professional Leagues Club auditor and two politicians, who should surely be well aware of the ramifications of non-disclosure. There is simply no excuse that any suspected previous indiscretions were not investigated, uncovered, reported and resolved.

At this point, all parties involved at the club seem to have declared full-disclosure and innocence and if that’s the case and if no evidence has been unearthed  then the NRL must move on, despite the media circus. Whack us with a fine, for cap mismanagement. That's reasonable if the only proven fault is ignorance or incompetence.

After all, the NRL walked away from the Brisbane Broncos, when it made clear that despite there being no evidence of wrong-doing in relation to salary cap abuse allegations, it would be unlikely to re-register certain officials again.

However, if the NRL does have evidence, then clearly those found to have breached the rules must go. I think that is the overwhelming consensus from all Eels fans regardless of their loyalties. I think most educated supporters have been prepared to give everyone at the club the benefit of that doubt, but if that faith has been shown to be misplaced, then there must be individual consequences. And that would represent a fair and just punishment that is directly related to the actual wrong doing.

A points penalty is not. A points penalty hurts the players. They did nothing wrong. A points penalty hurts the coaching staff. They did nothing wrong. A points penalty hurts the supporters. We certainly did nothing wrong.

Everybody wants this resolved as soon as possible. The brand damage just keeps on ticking upwards and it must start to have an impact on the football team. It’s admirable just how good a job, Brad Arthur has done, to keep all of this out of the head’s of his players, but that cannot last forever. As a club, whatever the outcome is, we need to move forward. As a club, we need to learn, react amd keep getting better in every aspect of our performance - on and off the field.

I’m sure, the NRL don’t want to destroy the Eels - they are too important to the code. And maybe they do uncover more issues that do relate to this year's squad, and if they do, then we'll have to cop that. 

I also believe that (at least most of) the board members and administrators also want the best for this club and won't let the club unnecessarily suffer.

But let’s be real, a points penalty could do untold damage to this club on so many levels just when it is dragging itself out of the gutter. It must be avoided.

I, like every Eels fan, look forwarded, to a swift and decisive end to what has just been a horrible, horrible episode for everyone that bleeds blue and Gold, because if we can move past this ugly episode without fatal harm, I remain confident there is very much a bright future just beyond the darkness.