Concern as Storm salary-cap hunt lags

[waveydavey]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/conce ... 5882971354

Concern as Storm salary-cap hunt lags

   * Russell Gould
   * From: Herald Sun
   * June 23, 2010 12:00AM

MELBOURNE Storm's independent salary-cap investigators have been forced to regularly seek help from the NRL, as grey areas in league rules continue to prolong the process and frustrate clubs.

The investigation by accounting firm Deloitte has been going for two months, holding up list management at Storm and other clubs.

But plans for a $100,000 salary-cap increase and a $300,000 marquee player allowance, which could help Storm retain players and stay under the cap next year, moved a step forward with support from all 16 club chief executives.

As the investigation drags on, however, club officials aren't getting excited about the new plans because their budgets are unclear while lists remain in limbo.

Meanwhile, Storm players are yet to be interviewed or provide financial documents to Deloitte. Player worries about handing over pay details also are holding up the process.

Their managers have received confidentiality agreements amended to address these issues, but still haven't granted interview requests.

The interaction between Deloitte and the NRL has raised questions about the investigators' knowledge of complicated salary-cap rules and their capacity to determine how far over the cap Storm would be next year.

It's believed, at one stage, investigators included estimates of player bonuses for those unlikely to get them, such as representative pay.

It's also unclear how many player contracts had been used to reach reported breach totals of about $1.2 million, with only 18 first-grade players contracted for next season.

And it's believed a recent update given to Storm's owners News Limited - publisher of the Herald Sun - put the club $2 million over the cap, until further scrutiny revealed that figure should have been only $1 million.

That allegation was dismissed by News spokesman Greg Baxter, but he said the investigation was taking longer than hoped.

"We would like them to be going faster, but it is a very laborious process," Baxter said. "Given the volume of material they have had to wade through, and when they find something of interest they have to set about pursuing it. That takes time.

"However, suggestions by some that Deloitte doesn't understand the cap system are incorrect.

"But where they have come across things that are grey, or it is unclear how an item need be treated, they'll contact the NRL and get a view on it."

Calls and emails to Deloitte for investigation updates have not been returned.

Here's a question for you - Could this become any more of a farce than it already is?  And the answer - it looks that way!!!  

So it would appear that even the forensic auditor haven't got a clue how far over the cap we'll be next year (or a clue about the salary cap in general it would also appear), so what ever figure they come up with should be treated as a guesstimate?  Maybe the independant directors should engage their own forensic auditors to stop the club being shafted?

Nice to see a News Ltd paper reproting the F*%K up though!!!

Strangely though, the Telecrap haven't reported this on their website!!!

[StormFront]

What a complete and utter balls up - they dont have a =clear understanding of the system they
are meant to review - so some things could be included that should not be.

I agree the Storm need to do their own independent research to ensure they are not getting
screwed over - like we already know they will be.....

The whole Salary Cap system need to be overhauled - how come the AFL can do it but the NRL
can not - although I am sure the AFL are not 100% clean and clear either.

[glennb]

Just announce five clubs have been fined for salary cap breaches.  Including Dragons, Roosters, Raiders, Broncos (again) and Eels.  The Eels got the biggest fines.  These were for salary cap oversights and disagreements over the way payments are made.  But these teams are allowed to be over the salary cap, right.

They have also clarified the issues of head butting It is now considered stiking and will not be tolerated in the game!!!!!  But it was alright two weeks ago.

[simo]

Just announce five clubs have been fined for salary cap breaches.  Including Dragons, Roosters, Raiders, Broncos (again) and Eels.  The Eels got the biggest fines.  These were for salary cap oversights and disagreements over the way payments are made.  But these teams are allowed to be over the salary cap, right.

They have also clarified the issues of head butting It is now considered stiking and will not be tolerated in the game!!!!!  But it was alright two weeks ago.

link?

[absentee]

http://www.nrl.com/news/news/newsarticl ... fault.aspx

[The Eagle]

Told you we wouldnt be found in that

[LESStar58]

Just announce five clubs have been fined for salary cap breaches.  Including Dragons, Roosters, Raiders, Broncos (again) and Eels.  The Eels got the biggest fines.  These were for salary cap oversights and disagreements over the way payments are made.  But these teams are allowed to be over the salary cap, right.

They have also clarified the issues of head butting It is now considered stiking and will not be tolerated in the game!!!!!  But it was alright two weeks ago.

The RAIDERS are over? I don't believe it! The other 4 I am not surprised by!

[CooperCronk]

What a total farce and do you know what I think, well I think every club rorts the cap, but some are better at doing it.

[steaming stormer]

If the Raiders were fined under 2000... what were they, a coffee over the cap or something???

[Ice]

What a total farce and do you know what I think, well I think every club rorts the cap, but some are better at doing it.

Agreed. These are only token piss poor fines from the NRL to attempt to show everyone they're doing their job properly by finding the tiniest breaches in the cap. These were only minor technicalities from clubs who knew they might get causght out on but had a reasonable explanation for (eg extra rep payments etc) The much deeper rorts they go to greater lengths to hide will never get be found because we all know that Schubert, Gallop and co are too *lima lima lima duck* stupid to do so on their own and have to rely on whistleblowers as in the case of us and the Dogs.

What an absolute joke of an administration.

[glennb]

This were all for 2009 breaches.  Do the Dragons loose the minor preimership for being in breach of the Salary Cap?????  What is good for one, is good for all.

[StormFront]

Does any one know exactly what the breaches were for each club?
THey have said what they were fined but not by how much they were over...

[Bourbon Rat]

Window dressing to make the salary cap gnome look good 
BTW - tell me again which team the gnome came from 

[bula]

Didn't the article say something like the salary cap team should be commended on their efforts?
I literally lold.

[Blitzkrieg]

Maybe they pay the salary cap team in peanuts - which would explain why they're (quite literally) a bunch of monkeys...