The NRL has issued over $500,000 worth of fines to seven clubs following the completion of their 2012 season audit, with Cronulla Sharks, Canberra Raiders, Newcastle Knights and Manly Sea-Eages hit with substantial fines.
In conjunction with the Australian Rugby League Commission’s Audit and Risk Committee, the NRL has stated the fines were for breaches across the Top 25, Second Tier and NYC salary caps.
The Sharks and Raiders were by far the hardest hit, receiving fines of $150,000 and $144,393 respectively.
The Knights and Sea Eagles have also been strongly dealt penalised, Newcastle to the tune of $88,749 and Manly $85,000.
The Titans, Roosters and Eels were given minor fines for their indiscretions.
Canberra CEO Don Furner said the club would appeal the fines, having already been aware of the breaches from the 2012 season.
“We were aware of our overspend in both first tier and second tier salary caps however we will be lodging an appeal in the size of the fines and we’re confident in that appeal,” he said.
“This overspend related to representative bonuses, and payments to players outside the top 25 to cover long term injuries.
“In 2012 we had to activate a number of clauses in younger player’s contracts, as we needed to fill the positions left vacant by long term injuries to our top squad.
“Breaches of the lower tier cap related to a number of allowances to our second tier players.
“We will be lodging an appeal this afternoon based on the fines issued to us.”
More to follow.
Ron
Guest
I agree to a certain degree, to prevent clubs breaching the cap they need to introduce a penalty system. That is where in the year these breaches are discovered they should penalise the clubs 1 competition pt for every 10k over the limit, This would mean a club like Cronulla would lose 15 pts from their current total of 24 placing them at the bottom. Just think we are talking last year they were over and have introduced Beau Ryan, Luke Lewis, Michael Gordan and Chris Heighington to their team this year without really losing a lot of valuable players. this means that in 2014 when reviews are done again they may be over by this amount again, but would probably be in the top 4. Introduce this penalty system NRL.
Australian Rules
Guest
Agree Trigg should have been banned - woeful from the AFL.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Drawing comparison between Waldron's tweaking the cap,ie clubs overspending and the paper work there to prove it,and Waldrons apparent deception of monies running into the millions over 3 years ,is akin to comparing a shoplifter with a bank robber. Waldron is not there,his underling was flicked,yet a CEO at an Adelaide club gets back after 6 months after a major overt one. Amazing.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
We don't know what the tax Office has done,and they are not likely to send out a memo ,to keep us up to date.
Australian Rules
Guest
Waldron may be a rat, but he ominously said that almost every club was "tweaking" the cap in some way. What happened after the Storm were burned..? Nothing. Astonishing.
jay C
Guest
Every year this same article gets printed about 6 or 7 teams and everybody blows up. It has been happening since the introduction of the system. It is just a part of the structure of the cap. The complexity of the contracts in place cause things like this to happen. there are so many performance bonusses built in to contracts that it is impossible to truly predict what the spend will be. For instance junior players are on tiny little contracts, outside of the tier 2 system, but they are given bonuses of say 10 grand if they play in the NRL. So if you have a team that has a lot of injuries these players creep up into the tiers and cause overspends. Note also that this is from last year. This year it will likely be the Panthers, Sharks, Roosters, Canberra who find themselves in hot water. but it isn't a big deal, just wear the fine and move on. For people who don't think the salary cap have improved the competition, sure it was fun when you supported the Broncos in the 90's, St George in the 60's, Manly pretty much all the time, but overall it is better to see a more even competition.
jay C
Guest
Broncos were robbed. no way that wasn't a try. from there it is 12-6 instead od 18 - nil and a very different game.
Matt
Guest
Who are the broncs paying on the side? With the team they're fielding they're surely not anywhere near the cap.
Silver_Sovereign
Guest
Schubert is not the man as he is painted out to be. Melbourne were only found out because of an insider leaking the club's books. Otherwise the NRL had nothing
fishes
Guest
There you go, you've had your Cronulla bashing for the day. Now go back and take your meds.
Meesta Cool
Guest
Hey Oiks, If that 2006 Broncos team were under the salary cap, I'll show my Bum in Myers Store Christmas window. Come off it mate, there has been more wages paid in paper bags than over the pay desk counter. I would guess that there has been more book fiddling at Broncos than Storm could ever fantasize about, they just have better accountants and record tearers. Can't blame them though, The Salary cap stinks and is uncontrollable!.
Meesta Cool
Guest
Make them all play for No points this year...
jonesy
Guest
oikee wrote off the broncos after round 1 and couldn't care less about these jokers. the broncos need mass changes. don't need to be Einstein to work that out.
I'mastormtrooper2
Guest
I thought that Schubert was not only to audit all NRL clubs annually, but was also to sign-off on all NRL contracts so that these situations did not occur??? Obviously that plan has gone to pot ... Each and every week there seems to be a total lack of professionalism, more misbehaviour and more media mud thrown that is putting a great sport and a great game in disrepute ... When all the fans want is to watch a fair game between two competitive teams ... SHAME, SHAME SHAME !!!
Liatrevlis
Guest
Thirty two ,,, zero !!!! ZERO ,,, ZERO
Liatrevlis
Guest
32 blot ,,, broncs really have turned the corner !!! Ha ha or should that be he he all the way to the spoon
nayfo
Guest
yawn
Blaze
Guest
Young brooks was in the same boat to my knowledge, I'm not so sure if its the clubs not managing properly, but teams like tigers and others to an extent, have had a very unfortunate run of injuries, and the cap doesn't really take that into account... But what can you do...
oikee
Guest
The storm are a growth team, Manly are the silvertails. Do you wish to keep a team of 200 thousand, or 4 million, come on, your call. Bury ya head in tha sand no longer, it is time rugby league spread its wings, past little manly, who strip other clubs of juniors, much like Canberra. Truth hurts.
oikee
Guest
Totally biased, would you expect anything less. hehe.