- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Parramatta Eels have been fined $525,000 and may lose four competition points to start the 2016 season if they fail to get their books in order.
The NRL confirmed on Thursday morning that the Eels were facing penalties in relation to the roster they held for the 2015 NRL season.
Reni Maitua, Matt Keating and Cheyse Blair are three players believed to be at the centre of the breach.
The Eels will have until the 29th of February, 2016, to conduct an independent a review and make recommended changes required to avoid a loss of competition points.
Despite the salary cap issues, Parramatta have already announced the big-name signings of Kieran Foran and Beau Scott for next season.
The NRL released the following statement on Thursday afternoon confirming the decision:
The Parramatta Eels are facing a fine of $525,000 for salary cap breaches last year.
The NRL today issued a breach notice to the club which also imposes a penalty of 4 competition points for breaches of the cap.
The competition points will be deducted at the start of the 2016 season unless the Eels undertake an independent review of its governance and organisational capability – and implement changes recommended by that review.
CEO Dave Smith said today the breaches were significant and were the product of inadequate oversight and governance at the club, largely by previous administrations.
He said that in 2014 the club overspent in each of the four salary cap categories. The amount of each breach is:
NRL Top 25 – $101,718
NRL 2nd tier – $233,036
NYC Top 20 – $60,915
NYC 2nd tier – $8277In addition, benefits provided to Eels players by the Parramatta Leagues Club in 2013 were also identified and represent a breach of the salary cap.
Mr Smith said the NRL had worked proactively to try to help the club avoid breaching the caps. The club had been given multiple warnings that it was in danger of breaching the caps but did not take sufficient steps to address the non-compliance.
He said that the NRL generally imposed a fine commensurate with the level of the breach.
But the club would be fined an additional penalty, taking the total to $525,000, for failing to take action to rectify its salary cap problems despite being warned to do so.
Mr Smith said the club’s governance had failed but he acknowledged that steps were now being taken to improve the systems at Parramatta.
He said the club would have until 29 February next year to undergo an independent governance review and implement the changes recommended by that review.
This will include a review of the club’s organisational capability.
The club must also ensure it does not breach the salary cap rules before 29 February 2016.
If the club fails to satisfy these conditions it will start the 2016 season on minus four competition points.
“The salary cap is one of the reasons we have the closest sporting competition in Australia,” Mr Smith said.
“We have to continue to take a hard line against breaches, particularly where a club’s governance and compliance systems are demonstrated to be inadequate.
“This action is aimed at improving the underlying problems at the club which have caused this breach.”
Mr Smith said Parramatta would have an opportunity to respond to the breach notice before a final determination is made.
The Sydney Roosters also face a fine of $41,292 for a breach of the salary cap rules. The breach related to inaccurate reporting of education allowances in the Club’s NYC Top 20. The Roosters will also have an opportunity to respond to the breach notice.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.