The NRL stat that isn't one, but should be: Working out which forwards really pull their weight
Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
Lyall Gorman doesn’t expect to start his tenure as Manly chief executive dealing with the fallout from an NRL salary cap investigation.
The former Cronulla boss was appointed on Thursday, with the Sea Eagles also revealing coach Trent Barrett has signed a contract extension to 2020.
The announcements provide stability after a difficult year in which Gorman’s predecessor Tim Cleary quit, the club was investigated then cleared for match-fixing and legend Bob Fulton vacated his consultancy position.
The NRL integrity unit has been looking at Manly’s books since mid-year with the NSW Organised Crime Commission believed to have uncovered secret player payments while investigating match-fixing.
Gorman echoed chairman Scott Penn’s firm belief the club would be cleared of salary cap breaches.
“I have full faith there’s nothing systemic there,” Gorman told reporters.
“If there are minor things, we address them, pull the curtain down and move on.”
Gorman has experience mopping up after scandals, having helped lift the Sharks from the fallout of their 2011 doping saga to the 2016 premiership before departing at the end of last month.
Penn was confident Manly’s involvement in the cap investigation would be complete next week and no such recovery job would be required.
“We don’t have many third parties, so if there’s an issue there, it would be a minor one,” he said.
“We’re comfortable with our position. We’ve been fully compliant with the NRL and hope we can wrap it up quickly.”
Barrett, who has been rewarded for lifting the club from 13th into the finals this year, played down the off-season impact of the salary cap issue, particularly the possible recruitment of Sydney Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce.
“We’ve got our squad pretty well settled now,” he said.
“We’ve got Blake Green contracted next year. So we’ll be pretty able to run with the same 17 and that’s where it is at the moment.”
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Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
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