Chief executive David Gallop says NRL officials are in the process of determining whether player agents implicated in the Melbourne salary cap scandal have a case to answer.

League staffers met with Deloitte investigators on Wednesday and Gallop revealed it was “quite possible” offending agents would be referred to the agent accreditation committee as a result.

This independent board has the power to de-register player managers who don’t abide by NRL regulations, banishing them from being able to negotiate at all with league clubs.

Because of the active role managers play in signing contracts and in the networking of the game, News Limited boss John Hartigan brandished agents as “misfits” and “blights on the game” for their alleged role in the Storm’s cap rorting.

Gallop said the NRL is determined to make agents accountable for their actions in representing players.

“We’ve already announced that we need to make some improvements around the accountability of agents in terms of playing contracts and making sure they’re under an obligation to disclose to the game that players’ remuneration is being fully included in playing contracts,” Gallop said.

“Agent accreditation … is a very important part of the game and having those guys regulated is something we need to take seriously and I’m sure the committee will take seriously.

“Where they find serious breaches I expect them to take serious action.

“I’ve made it clear we’re looking to get a chain of emails between club officials and player managers and it’s quite possible that will lead to matters being referred to the agent accreditation committee.”

Head of the committee Neil Cadigan said they haven’t begun any investigations into implicated agents — like Cameron Smith’s manager Isaac Moses and Greg Inglis’ agent Allan Gainey — and won’t do so until instructed by the NRL.

Of more immediate concern to the committee is the status of North Queensland forward Willie Mason, who is still operating without an accredited agent.

If any investigation is required of managers caught up in the Storm drama, it will take months to be completed. Melbourne players have no immediate worries about any negotiations which may have to take place as a result of the breaking up of the club’s talent.

However, with Mason off contract and ready to talk with the Cowboys and possibly other clubs, the committee is concerned because his manager Greg Keenan is not accredited.

All clubs and Mason himself have now been notified by the committee that Keenan is banned in any way from taking part in contract negotiations.

For Mason’s current deal which was signed in February, Keenan was able to find a way around by getting fellow agent Sam Ayoub to broker the deal on his behalf.

However, the NRL said protocol must be followed and will now be enforced, which means Mason would have to sign a contract with another agent which says he is now exclusively dealing with him.

“If he wants another agent to represent him instead, he must sign an agreement with that agent which must be registered, and no other agent can represent him,” Cadigan explained.

“The other option is Willie can negotiate a contract himself.”

Hypothetically, if investigated agents from the Storm drama are eventually stripped of their accreditation, Gallop hopes a repeat of the Mason situation can be avoided.

“I think there were some lessons out of that … I expect that like anything else, there will be improvements to that as it goes along,” he said.

© AAP 2012

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