Well...we DIDN'T lose at the 1st Directions Hearing

[Storm Spirit]

and they way things have gone over the last month....I'll take that at the moment.

SEN in Melbourne report that :

2nd directions hearing set down for early June.

Seems like all parties are just positioning themselves to find out what the other team has got.

No legal arguments advanced at this stage...neither wants to show their hand too early.

NRL argued that the News Ltd arm involved in marketing for Storm (Valimanda) should be joined as a co-defendant as they were party to the sanctions.

[Diehard_Storm]

We'll its started...but it has a looong way to play out.

[Temi]

Did they file the injunction?

[StormFront]

NRL argued that the News Lt arm involved in marketing for Storm (V...??) should be joined as a co-defendant as they were party to the sanctions.

Now  thats odd... as I thought Gallop made the sanctions independently of News Ltd... lets see where this goes ..

Will be a very long messy drawn out battle I am afraid with many casualties along the way...

Has court action been filed against Waldron yet?
And when is the independent auditors report due? Today?

[Storm Spirit]

Did they file the injunction?

Didn't get mentioned by the reporter on the live cross to the Supreme Court...so possibly not at this stage.

Maybe at the early 2nd Hearing in early June ?

[waveydavey]

This from NRL.com:

Storm NRL case may be heard in July

   
AAP Fri, 21 May 2010 11:35:30

Court action between the Melbourne Storm and the NRL over salary cap breach penalties could be heard as early as July.

Lawyers for the Storm's independent directors and the NRL appeared in the Victorian Supreme Court for a directions hearing on Friday.

The Storm is arguing penalties imposed by the NRL for salary cap breaches, which included the loss of two premierships, were imposed unlawfully.

The NRL's lawyer Tony Meagher SC, told the court the Storm agreed to meet with them in April and conceded there had been salary cap breaches and then agreed to the penalties being imposed.

Mr Meagher asked that Valimanda, a Storm parent company, be involved in the proceedings.

Valimanda is owned by News Limited.

The matter will return to court for a case conference in June.

The court heard any trial over the matter could take place in July or August.

Outside court, NRL solicitor Tony O'Reilly said the organisation would issue a claim to have Valimanda become part of the proceedings.

"What we are doing is Valimanda is one of the two entities that comprise the Melbourne Storm club, they were part of the decision therefore they should be part of the court proceedings," he said.

"We have no argument with them. The whole Melbourne Storm club was part of the decision.

"The NRL's decision was imposed on the club as a whole which comprises the two entities, therefore they should be part of the court process, so that everybody is bound.

"They agreed to the process that went on so the NRL obviously believes that they should be here as well."

O'Reilly believes the case can be resolved before the finals series.

"We would be pretty confident we would be able to get it done in July and that will get it all over a long time before the semi-finals and it will be all sorted out a couple of months ahead," he said.

My understanding is that News Ltd, in the guise of Valimanda, didn't want to get involved with the appeal?  Maybe they are going into bat for the NRL?  My undertsanding is also that the two News Ltd directors of Storm abstained from the appeal due to conflict of interest, so how can they now be involved without conflict of interest?

[Diehard_Storm]

It's pretty obvious why the want the News-owned Valimanda present....so they can re-affirm that the punishment handed out by the NRL was fair.

The whole thing is a crock.  NRL which is owned by News, is now calling on its owner to give evidence that assists their defence.

Any judge with half a brain would dismiss these calls.

[Temi]

My head hurts 

[The Eagle]

My head hurts 

Lol wait till you read sydneys bird cage liner today,some newcastle grass roots team
crying about the NRL using $500k to defend itself against....THE STORM!!!

[steaming stormer]

And the funniest part of that article, is the Newcastle team only is in financial issues after financial mismanagement in the process of winning a premiership!! Pot - Kettle...