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BREAKING:The NRL has stripped the Melbourne Storm of two premierships, as well as any competition points this season, and fined a total of $1.6 million after being found guilty of long-term salary cap breaches. It is the heaviest punishment for a salary cap breach in NRL history.
NRL chief executive David Gallop announced they would also not be allowed to accrue any premiership points in the 2010 season.
“The elaborate lengths that they went to hide the payments was quite extraordinary,” Gallop said. “These payments have allowed them to recruit and retain some of the best players in the game. there’s no alternative as far as punishment.”
The club is believed to have paid $1.7 million to its players outside the cap in the past five years.
The Storm has been stripped of its premierships in 2007 and 2009, three minor premierships and their eight competition points this season.
While Melbourne lost their titles from the 2007 and 2009 seasons Gallop said neither losing grand finalists Manly or Parramatta would assume those titles.
The Storm were also stripped of three minor premierships.
“The club has furthermore been fined $500,000 and will be forced to return $1.1 million in prizemoney with the prizemoney being distributed evenly among the other 15 clubs,” said Gallop.
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April 22nd 2010 @ 4:14pm
DiCanio said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:14pm | Report comment
Amazing
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:15pm
James said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:15pm | Report comment
Game over in Victoria.
April 22nd 2010 @ 10:37pm
matthew said | April 22nd 2010 @ 10:37pm | Report comment
This is the only way that NSW NRL can hold back the Storm. They want a national competion but NSW are to embarassed that AFL country can play their game better than they do. The breach averages out to only $340k a year in a competition worth hundreds of millions a yr & the penalty is way too harsh. Tell me seriously that ALL the other clubs in the competition are not breaching the salary cap rules. This is the start of the end for the NRL as this will destroy the future of all Rugby league just as the AFL expands further into NSW & Gold Coast. The AFL thanks you for this historic stuff up!
April 22nd 2010 @ 10:45pm
apaway said | April 22nd 2010 @ 10:45pm | Report comment
And Matthew, we will welcome you back to Planet Earth any time you’re ready to rejoin us.
April 22nd 2010 @ 11:27pm
matthew said | April 22nd 2010 @ 11:27pm | Report comment
APAWAY, Ithe NRL is on its last legs & wont exist in its current format within 10 yrs without expanding & creating a larger fan base, the game is to slow & needs to become more modern as all other sports do from cricket with twenty20 or like AFL constantly updating rule changes to keep the game moving & free flowing. The penalty is excessive & bad for the sport as Victoria had the potential to bring life back into the NRL. The AFLcan get 100,000 people to a ordinary home game like collingwood v essendon at MCG where as NRL cant even get that at the grand final. Storm have done the wrong thing but the punishment does not fit & will have effects for all teams if they lose there supporter base. It is no secret that NRL are worried about the AFL expanding especially into NSW.
MATT signing off from the moon lol
April 22nd 2010 @ 11:11pm
Realist said | April 22nd 2010 @ 11:11pm | Report comment
LOL
The bulk of the Storm’s key players are from Queensland.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm
Hoy said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
HOLY S T!!!!
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm
Brett McKay said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
so many questions!!
- how did the Board and News not know about the CEO’s (Waldron?) secret files?
- if News wasn’t paying for it, then who was?
- how was it discovered?
- the Storm’s future – can they survive News surrendering ownership AND these fines?
- can Waldron keep his job with the Rebels, if indeed this is all his doing?
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:21pm
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:21pm | Report comment
If I was the Rebels I would having some second thoughts re Waldron that’s for sure.
I am surprised that News wouldn’t know, but with the amount of money they support the club with anyway and a bit of creative accountancy who knows?
Well done to the NRL for grasping the Bull by the horns though…..that would have been a difficult decision.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:22pm
mushi said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:22pm | Report comment
To be fair it is very difficult to uncover fraud when you rely on information from the fraudulent party.
There must of been a whistle blower to bring this down.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:27pm
True Tah said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
Rebels will probably have to sack waldron, if he knew this was going on and he must have known it was going on.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm
Harry said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
Very big news.
Docked competition points for this year yes, but “stripping premiership titles”. That is ridiculous.
Astonishing stuff, this will be the demise of the Storm if all these punishment stands, and sets News Ltd against the NRL – super league war II?
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:24pm
Simmo said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
The salary cap breaches gave them unfair advantages during their premiership winning seasons. They deserve to be stripped of their silverware.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:24pm
BennO said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
And does that mean the runner up in each year (Manly and Parra, right?) is awarded the premiership?
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:25pm
Simmo said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
according to NRL.com, “no”. The premierships will become blank for those two seasons.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm
mushi said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
but hey lets expand!
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:18pm
mushi said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:18pm | Report comment
I am stunned at the stripping, whilst I agree with it, shouldn’t the Bulldogs also lose their premiership ( in that rention is easier than recruitment)
But at any rate – we should see charges out of this as stat decs were given to the accuracy of information
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:26pm
Angrywicket said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:26pm | Report comment
The bulldogs salary cap breaches were 2 years before the team won the premiership.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:19pm
The Link said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:19pm | Report comment
Huge, huge, huge, i’m gobsmacked
Hard to tell what the fallout may be.
Usual suspects jumping to conclusions of course.
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:20pm
Kento said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:20pm | Report comment
Does this season continue to hold much interest??
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:21pm
Rebelyell said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:21pm | Report comment
Hopefully the rebels can pick up Inglis and Slater on the cheap !!
April 22nd 2010 @ 4:27pm
zach said | April 22nd 2010 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
The Rebels did pick up Waldron!