While the Eels get dragged through the mud and scrutinised like no other regarding TPA's, the West Tigers godfather, Harry Triguboff openly admits being approached by the club to assist in buying players.
Extracts from journalist Dean Ritchie's article.
"I spoke with them, (West Tigers management)" said Triguboff, the founder and managing director of Meriton Apartments. "They wanted money to buy four good players and I told them I would help"
"Then we can win a comp. That is what I am interested in. They (management) came to see me about (Aaron) Woods, he is a nice person"
Asked how much the club was seeking, he said "I can't remember , $500,000, $600,000."
How exactly will Harry help? TPA's for the four players. Am I missing something? Is that the club being at "arms length" of organising any TPA's for players?
Get your head out of the sand NRL. TPA's are a absolute joke, and this is what every club does to secure them, yet your witch-hunt and focus is on the Eels for "blatantly breaching third-party arrangements" all because there was a discussion (leaked board minutes) that third-party sponsors might receive corporate hospitality and a technicality with Anthony Watmoughs TPA.
So your telling me when Harry outlays $500,000+ to secure these 4 players that club management approached him to do, he will be fully at "arms length" of the club and they won't be providing Harry with any favourable treatment?
Yep, just another billionaire lining up in the queue to buy his tickets and food each week.
Replies
one rule for one, another rule for another
It's in the too hard basket for the NRL to forensically audit all of the clubs, and would be an embarrassment to the game how many rorts would be discovered. Are they going to dock 4, 6, 8 clubs of points?
I hope I am wrong, but I am getting a little nervous since Greenburg's appointment that the easiest for thing the NRL to do is dock us of points, which puts the other clubs on notice and gives them time to get their house in order.
There are multiple conflicts of interest in TPAs and other methods keeping players at various clubs, the example with Tribuboff (doesn't Balmain have NRL appointed directors?), Gyngall being on Roosters board and Ch9 supplying 3 (that we know of) TPAs and Cowboys chairman (representing the club) supplying cut price homes to players (5 minute investigation by NRL and signed off as OK). Incidentally shouldn't the discount on the homes be added to the salaries of the Cows players as the chairman cannot separate himself from the club!?
All these are known by NRL but they have been turning blind eye to it all except in Parra's case. If all this reporting in the DT is proven wrong shouldn't the club then sue them.
Only player managers can source TPAs. If the club tried to source them themselves it is a breach of the rules. Interesting that the club is controlled by the NRL. Also interesting that this has been ignored by the media.
Surely our club is all over these examples and highlighting it to the NRL.
Maybe the club should be speaking out more about these things when getting bashed by journalists.
As you mentioned mate, the West Tigers is controlled by the NRL, the Tigers side of the joint venture owes them $5.4 million that was borrowed 2 years ago and due to be paid backed back in full in 10 days time. It has been reported they have no chance of repaying them.
The NRL might turn a blind eye to any means they can attract money....saves the NRL from having to outlay more to keep them afloat. Not a good look if the West Tigers, Newcastle and Gold Coast are sitting in the bottom 3 when they are the only 3 clubs relying on NRL for funding and administration.
Greenburg may not be the boogeyman people are afraid of. 100% he would be aware that Canterbury is (or at least has been) in breach of the rules simply because he was there and would have had a hand in their dodgy deals. He knows all the clubs do it but will never admit it. He knows that if anything leaked out of the Bulldogs and revealed any TPA rorts, he would be implicated and would be forced to quit as NRL CEO. It's in Todd's interests to sweep this under the carpet.
Coming down hard on the Eels (keeping in mind that the alleged breaches are relatively minor, dealing in the tens of thousands of dollars and not in the millions) would set the precedent and the NRL would have no choice other than to severely punish other clubs for similar future cap breaches. If this was rorting of the actual salary cap with us directly paying players under the table then yeah slam dunk we lose points. But in this case dishing out such a punishment would be a hollow victory for the NRL and for Greenburg because he knows all the clubs have dodgy TPA deals. If Greenburg truly wants to make his mark he will denounce the TPA system as flawed and commit to a full revamp.
There can be nothing better for the game, than a strong competitive parra rising from the lowly depths we have been in.
Like most other cocky arrogant 'leaders', they think that they are smarter than everyone and this is what eventually brings them down.
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