Not over yet . . .

[stormsally]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/n ... 5912089723

NRL reopens Melbourne Storm salary cap investigation EXCLUSIVE by Josh Massoud From: The Daily Telegraph August 31, 2010 12:00AM

MELBOURNE players and officials remain under a salary cap cloud, with the NRL reopening its investigation into the rorts that have already cost the Storm two premierships and the chance to compete for points this season.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert has been in contact with Storm officials to arrange interviews with selected players following this weekend's final round.

Schubert has also sent a memo to the Rugby League Players Association stating that the NRL is yet to "clear" any individuals.

His warning comes nearly two months after a Deloitte report commissioned by club owner News Limited (publisher of The Daily Telegraph) found no evidence to support that any players knew about the scams.

In the RLPA memo, dated August 25, Schubert writes: "It is not correct to state that the Melbourne Storm players have been cleared of any wrongdoing ... the NRL's investigation of the extent (if any) to which players (as well as others within the club) were involved in the avoidance of the salary cap is still in progress.

"Although we hope to complete the investigation in the coming weeks, the position has by no means been reached whereby any of the players may regard themselves as having been cleared."
More than a dozen players were named in the Deloitte report as having received benefits outside the cap. It was also revealed that star trio Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater all received "side letters" that guaranteed them third-party payments.

The respective managers of both Inglis and Smith, Allan Gainey and Isaac Moses, signed the letters on behalf of their clients and are currently being investigated by their accreditation committee.

The NRL last night confirmed it was reviewing the club to "understand all of the ways in which the cap might have been breached", but suggested no further penalties would be imposed.

"The NRL issued its penalties earlier this year on the basis that the admissions we had at the time warranted those outcomes," NRL boss David Gallop said.

"At the time it was made clear there was every likelihood that the size of the breaches may actually grow with further investigation. The Deloitte report was a part of News Limited's investigation in their capacity as owners of the club.

"At the time we said that we believed it likely the numbers in the report would be accurate but also made it clear we were not there to accept the report.

"We said we would review it and complete our investigations which are needed to understand all of the ways in which the cap may have been breached.

"It is already clear that we are providing some information to the Agent Accreditation Committee and it is important in determining that the club is under the cap in 2011 that we know every aspect of what has gone on in the past.

"The NRL will continue to make a number of inquiries which may include discussions with players."

It's likely that Schubert will interview the players midway through next week, prior to their annual season ball on Friday, September 9.

No wonder they handed out the penalty o swiftly.  If they waited for the investigation to be complete - it would have been 2012.

The players should sue for defimation of character - the way the NRL is continuiously dragging their names through the mud - they have not been cleared yet!  Can't they pull their fingures out and put this to bed so we can all look forward to 2011.  No wonder Gallop can't look the players in the face

[sallymay]

WHEN WILL IT BLOODY END

[The Eagle]

Players should sue News Limited for slander,those *lima lima lima duck* are the worst

[Mattpoet]

They have to re-open it, Cam Smith just won the Herald Sun afl tipping for 2010 and they have to find a way to strip that as well.

[StormFront]

What a joke - to pull this stunt now is just pathetic form from  the NRL...
The Storm have moved on, we have lost players, the fans are rebuilding
or is that the problem - the bullshit with all of this just smells like
payback for years past..... They want Storm to drop off the face of the
Earth.... but guess what all the NRL have done and continue to do is
make Melbourne Storm, Stronger, closer and a much better club for the
players, staff and supporters....

[absentee]

If the players wouldn't talk to anyone last time, what makes them think they'll be more accommodating this time?

[mb09]

If the players wouldn't talk to anyone last time, what makes them think they'll be more accommodating this time?

l'm sure they won't.The NRL really are a bunch of amateurs

[Woody]

I could have sworn that when News Ltd released there sterilised version of the forensic audit they said that no players were found to have acted knowingly in this whole affair. Does this mean that Ballsup and Shubert are now ignoring their masters to try and have another crack at us? Are they seriously suggesting that Shubert, who let`s face it hasn`t been able to prove a damn thing without help and/or  admissions, can now dig up something that a forensic audit didn`t pick up? I`m so sick of this crap. I hope the players tell both of them where to go.

                              Of course it`s also going to be hard to question the players etc after Sunday when they all head off on holidays too 

[StormFront]

Just more digging around to cause more problems for Storm...
the ground had started to settle and this just stirs it up again...

And as stated once the players head off on holidays and dont talk
to them - (because lets face it would you talk to them)
of cause all the players will be made to look bad...

Its a broken record now.... we all know the songs and
are completely over it.

[Michael :P]

lol Ian Schubert the homer simpson of accounting

[Bourbon Rat]

Canter & Horseshoe should be careful what they dig for.
News Ltd still have more than face to lose in this & the 'conveniently removed' directors are no longer under any restraint not to damage some people.Will also be interested to see the impact more digging will have on clubs who have 'fitted players in' on small payments.

Roll on the independent commission & a standard set of rules for ALL clubs.
With no grey areas or convenient loopholes.

[one-eyed]

The sooner there is an independent commission running the NRL the better off all the teams will be, as long as the current mob of  scumbag sewer rats don't have anything to do with it ( sorry to be offensive to sewer rats).

[glennb]

Gallop has already been promised he will in control of the independent commission.  That was one of Newslimit conditions.  The players do not have to ansewer questions to the Schubert or anyone else at the NRL.  The only time they have ansewer questions about their salary or anything to do with it is when the ATO asks or if the police are investagating a crime.  No criminal matter has been started and  Schubert is not from the ATO. 

The NRL want someone to blame because they can not get Waldron unless these people get involved.  They want a player or a player manager to be a scapegoat.  It is Billy and Cameron and their managers the NRL have in their sites because they have tsow signed contracts.

If they can prove anything the will use it, no matter which player it is.

[stormsally]

wasn't the justification for sacking the independant directors that they weren't looking forward, and that storm needed to look forward and co-operate with the NRL to get some 'assistance'.  What assistance did we get?? 

Now the NRL are saying the same things the Independant Directors were saying, we need to understand what happened in the past to be able to go forward.

The thing that gets me the most is thzat the players haven't been proven innocent yet line.

The way the NRL operate the only way to get any satisfaction is to take it them to court and if I was a player I'd be tempted to.

[Woody]

What`s the betting that this new investigation doesn`t include G.I. now that he`s going.