Cronulla Sharks
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mattystorm1987
- Hail Storm
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- Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:40 pm
- Location: wagga wagga nsw
Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan operated bank account against club's wishes
CRONULLA was tonight hit with more controversy following revelations that coach Shane Flanagan operated a High Performance Unit bank account against the clubs wishes.
The development came as Sharks skipper Paul Gallen was also identified as the player involved in a mis-managed third party deal that earned Cronulla a $150,000 salary cap breach in July.
Flanagan’s account was discovered after its details were included on an e-mail inviting directors and sponsors to a coaching luncheon at the Royal Motor Yacht Club in early February.
The coach was insulted when asked to justify the account and claimed he shut it down at the direction of former CEO Bruno Cullen.
But Cullen last night denied any knowledge of the account, telling ABC’s 7:30: “You just don’t do things that way.”
Flanagan argued the account was necessary to raise funds for gym equipment – through functions and golf days - because the club did not provide enough money for the football department to compete with other teams.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal it was the second private account used at the club in recent years, with former coach Ricky Stuart operating the first version to fund team camps and equipment in 2009.
Cronulla’s board expressed its disapproval around the time Flanagan took over in 2010, wanting all transactions to be run through the club’s official St. George account.
But the Sharks have no record of paying for the services – or expensive supplements – incurred by sports scientist Steve Dank in early 2011, the period which has subjected Cronulla to ASADA investigation.
Flanagan last night denied any of Dank’s expenses have been met by his Westpac account, which was opened almost a year after the sports scientist’s departure.
He could not say when the first account was shut down, but understood Dank was willing to work free of charge.
Gallen’s deal was with former security provider E-Group, which paid the captain about $120,000 over three years.
Upon discovering E-Group had threatened to make the payments public amid a dispute over its service contract, Flanagan wrote a frantic e-mail to the club that was aired on last night’s program.
“Everyone needs to be aware that if Paul is exposed any form of inspection or scrutiny due to E-Group contract details, the club arranged all details of past contracts not Paul,” Flanagan’s e-mail read.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6700909351
CRONULLA was tonight hit with more controversy following revelations that coach Shane Flanagan operated a High Performance Unit bank account against the clubs wishes.
The development came as Sharks skipper Paul Gallen was also identified as the player involved in a mis-managed third party deal that earned Cronulla a $150,000 salary cap breach in July.
Flanagan’s account was discovered after its details were included on an e-mail inviting directors and sponsors to a coaching luncheon at the Royal Motor Yacht Club in early February.
The coach was insulted when asked to justify the account and claimed he shut it down at the direction of former CEO Bruno Cullen.
But Cullen last night denied any knowledge of the account, telling ABC’s 7:30: “You just don’t do things that way.”
Flanagan argued the account was necessary to raise funds for gym equipment – through functions and golf days - because the club did not provide enough money for the football department to compete with other teams.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal it was the second private account used at the club in recent years, with former coach Ricky Stuart operating the first version to fund team camps and equipment in 2009.
Cronulla’s board expressed its disapproval around the time Flanagan took over in 2010, wanting all transactions to be run through the club’s official St. George account.
But the Sharks have no record of paying for the services – or expensive supplements – incurred by sports scientist Steve Dank in early 2011, the period which has subjected Cronulla to ASADA investigation.
Flanagan last night denied any of Dank’s expenses have been met by his Westpac account, which was opened almost a year after the sports scientist’s departure.
He could not say when the first account was shut down, but understood Dank was willing to work free of charge.
Gallen’s deal was with former security provider E-Group, which paid the captain about $120,000 over three years.
Upon discovering E-Group had threatened to make the payments public amid a dispute over its service contract, Flanagan wrote a frantic e-mail to the club that was aired on last night’s program.
“Everyone needs to be aware that if Paul is exposed any form of inspection or scrutiny due to E-Group contract details, the club arranged all details of past contracts not Paul,” Flanagan’s e-mail read.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6700909351
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mattystorm1987
- Hail Storm
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:40 pm
- Location: wagga wagga nsw
CRONULLA SHARKS ACCUSED OF SECRET FINANCIAL DEALINGS; CLAIMS OF OFF-THE-BOOKS PAYMENTS TO PAUL GALLEN
The head coach of the Cronulla Sharks has been accused of using a bank account off the club's books.
At the same time, an internal report into the club's supplements regime has been obtained that says prohibited peptides were given to some players in 2011.
In an exclusive report by the ABC's 7.30 program, it reported head coach Shane Flanagan operated what was called a high-performance unit (HPU) bank account despite the NRL club's board ordering it be shut down.
The program also obtained emails in which a former sponsor claims cash payments were made to captain Paul Gallen outside the salary cap.
Former Sharks chief executive Bruno Cullen, the man who was called in to clean up the mess after Cronulla's secret supplements regime exploded in public scandal, has described the club's administration as a disaster waiting to happen.
"You just don't do things that way, no," he said.
"Every dollar that comes into the club, and therefore every dollar that goes out of the club, should going through the club's central account and be recorded and accounted for."
7.30 understands the HPU account was operating outside of the board's control after being ordered to shut down.
Flanagan told 7.30 yesterday that it was used to pay for the club's new gym.
Cullen said he never knew of the account.
"No, not at all no. The club didn't even bank with Westpac, they banked with St George."
Deal being done in private
7.30 has also obtained a series of emails that expose a deal being done in private at the Sharks.
They were written by Sami Chamoun, a former Cronulla sponsor and director of security company E Group.
On February 5, 2013, just days before the Sharks' secret supplements regime became public, Chamoun wrote to the Cronulla board complaining about his contract being terminated early, threatening to blow the lid on a secret salary cap deal.
I've been paying a certain player cash off the salary cap for the past three years, you think that's not going to get out into the media if it goes into a legal case....
It's the truth, you and your management have a lot to answer.
Half an hour later, a furious Flanagan wrote to the board seeking help, revealing the identity of the player and the club's breach of the salary cap rules.
That player was NSW's favourite son - Blues captain and Cronulla chief Gallen.
Tonight Paul Gallen has been contacted and informed by Sami of E Group... and give(n) (sic) his account of contract details with our club and full details of payments to Paul over many years which will expose us salary cap and Paul possibly taxation wise... this will not go away unless dealt with tomorrow and this is a lot bigger than a security contract.
7.30 understands it was not Gallen but the club that was in breach.
It is believed payments to a number of players run up to $250,000 and were never properly registered as third-party player agreements.
"I know cash sounds terrible, and that's something I won't go there with that, but the arrangement was for him to make a payment to Paul, do the sponsorship and make the third-party payment," Cullen said.
"Now whether he paid that by - and I don't want to sound flippant - by cash, by cheque, by jars of vegemite, whatever, he made the payment.
"But the problem is more the documentation of that from a salary cap point of view, it wasn't formalised the way it should've been."
Report reveals banned substances used
Exposure of the secret bank account is not the only scandal hanging over the club.
With ASADA's interim report into the supplements regime run by sports scientist Steve Dank at the Essendon AFL club now complete, the regulator has turned its attention back to the Sharks.
After its first attempts to interview players about the alleged use of peptides during Dank's tenure failed, two weeks ago ASADA recommenced proceedings.
In May, Wade Graham arrived for his interview wearing thongs and a t-shirt before reportedly refusing to answer any questions.
But now, bolstered with new powers to compel witnesses to answer questions, the regulator is expected to get much further this time around.
While Dank maintains he never gave any players prohibited substances, 7.30 has obtained an internal report on the Sharks completed in March by Dr Trish Kavanagh, formerly of ASADA, which has never been publicly released before now.
It shows that during Dank's five-month tenure in 2011, players were injected with peptides GHRP6 and CJC-1295 four times before being administered cream versions.
Kavanagh's report states that both peptides were prohibited from January 1, 2011.
"Everyone that was around the club, including Steve Dank and other people at the club at the time, had a real responsibility for the players' welfare," Cullen said of that period at the club.
"I don't believe that that was that focus was anywhere near what it should've been."
Survival rests on righting wrongs
For Cullen, the survival of the Sharks rests on the club righting the wrongs of the past and ensuring they do not make the same mistakes again.
"I'm not too sure whether they've learnt their lesson or not," he said.
"Worst-case scenario, I fear for them and a whole lot of things about player suspension, players suing the club for loss of income, players suing the club for player welfare.
"Best-case scenario, they'll be fine. They have the commercial development to fall back on.
"Worst-case scenario, they are going to have some huge challenges."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... ul-gallen/
The head coach of the Cronulla Sharks has been accused of using a bank account off the club's books.
At the same time, an internal report into the club's supplements regime has been obtained that says prohibited peptides were given to some players in 2011.
In an exclusive report by the ABC's 7.30 program, it reported head coach Shane Flanagan operated what was called a high-performance unit (HPU) bank account despite the NRL club's board ordering it be shut down.
The program also obtained emails in which a former sponsor claims cash payments were made to captain Paul Gallen outside the salary cap.
Former Sharks chief executive Bruno Cullen, the man who was called in to clean up the mess after Cronulla's secret supplements regime exploded in public scandal, has described the club's administration as a disaster waiting to happen.
"You just don't do things that way, no," he said.
"Every dollar that comes into the club, and therefore every dollar that goes out of the club, should going through the club's central account and be recorded and accounted for."
7.30 understands the HPU account was operating outside of the board's control after being ordered to shut down.
Flanagan told 7.30 yesterday that it was used to pay for the club's new gym.
Cullen said he never knew of the account.
"No, not at all no. The club didn't even bank with Westpac, they banked with St George."
Deal being done in private
7.30 has also obtained a series of emails that expose a deal being done in private at the Sharks.
They were written by Sami Chamoun, a former Cronulla sponsor and director of security company E Group.
On February 5, 2013, just days before the Sharks' secret supplements regime became public, Chamoun wrote to the Cronulla board complaining about his contract being terminated early, threatening to blow the lid on a secret salary cap deal.
I've been paying a certain player cash off the salary cap for the past three years, you think that's not going to get out into the media if it goes into a legal case....
It's the truth, you and your management have a lot to answer.
Half an hour later, a furious Flanagan wrote to the board seeking help, revealing the identity of the player and the club's breach of the salary cap rules.
That player was NSW's favourite son - Blues captain and Cronulla chief Gallen.
Tonight Paul Gallen has been contacted and informed by Sami of E Group... and give(n) (sic) his account of contract details with our club and full details of payments to Paul over many years which will expose us salary cap and Paul possibly taxation wise... this will not go away unless dealt with tomorrow and this is a lot bigger than a security contract.
7.30 understands it was not Gallen but the club that was in breach.
It is believed payments to a number of players run up to $250,000 and were never properly registered as third-party player agreements.
"I know cash sounds terrible, and that's something I won't go there with that, but the arrangement was for him to make a payment to Paul, do the sponsorship and make the third-party payment," Cullen said.
"Now whether he paid that by - and I don't want to sound flippant - by cash, by cheque, by jars of vegemite, whatever, he made the payment.
"But the problem is more the documentation of that from a salary cap point of view, it wasn't formalised the way it should've been."
Report reveals banned substances used
Exposure of the secret bank account is not the only scandal hanging over the club.
With ASADA's interim report into the supplements regime run by sports scientist Steve Dank at the Essendon AFL club now complete, the regulator has turned its attention back to the Sharks.
After its first attempts to interview players about the alleged use of peptides during Dank's tenure failed, two weeks ago ASADA recommenced proceedings.
In May, Wade Graham arrived for his interview wearing thongs and a t-shirt before reportedly refusing to answer any questions.
But now, bolstered with new powers to compel witnesses to answer questions, the regulator is expected to get much further this time around.
While Dank maintains he never gave any players prohibited substances, 7.30 has obtained an internal report on the Sharks completed in March by Dr Trish Kavanagh, formerly of ASADA, which has never been publicly released before now.
It shows that during Dank's five-month tenure in 2011, players were injected with peptides GHRP6 and CJC-1295 four times before being administered cream versions.
Kavanagh's report states that both peptides were prohibited from January 1, 2011.
"Everyone that was around the club, including Steve Dank and other people at the club at the time, had a real responsibility for the players' welfare," Cullen said of that period at the club.
"I don't believe that that was that focus was anywhere near what it should've been."
Survival rests on righting wrongs
For Cullen, the survival of the Sharks rests on the club righting the wrongs of the past and ensuring they do not make the same mistakes again.
"I'm not too sure whether they've learnt their lesson or not," he said.
"Worst-case scenario, I fear for them and a whole lot of things about player suspension, players suing the club for loss of income, players suing the club for player welfare.
"Best-case scenario, they'll be fine. They have the commercial development to fall back on.
"Worst-case scenario, they are going to have some huge challenges."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... ul-gallen/
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mattystorm1987
- Hail Storm
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:40 pm
- Location: wagga wagga nsw
im just gunna take a guess here and say that competition points will be stripped and that will really open up the 8th spot for the finals with titans panthers raiders cowboys broncos and warriors...
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LESStar58
- Tropical Cyclone
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Some of the commentary on soical media and other league forums is hilarious. "If it's good enough for the cheating Storm" and such.
My views on salary cap cheats has now changed; normally I'd say "I wouldn't wish it on anyone". Going forward my attitude is "ZERO sympathy". Fark 'em.
My views on salary cap cheats has now changed; normally I'd say "I wouldn't wish it on anyone". Going forward my attitude is "ZERO sympathy". Fark 'em.
After the pure venom spewed Storm fans way after 2010 (because we deserved that on top of everything else), I have long held zero sympathy should another club be put through the same thing.LESStar58 wrote:My views on salary cap cheats has now changed; normally I'd say "I wouldn't wish it on anyone". Going forward my attitude is "ZERO sympathy". Fark 'em.
I cannot believe how little media coverage and hate has been directed the Sharks and Gallen's way. Actually, being a club from the "Blue" state and having limited success, the love-in and support does not surprise me. People's disgust in an action is directly related to whether they already had a negative opinion of those in question.