NRL respond to allegations of further cap breaches at Parramatta

I feel for the parramatta members and fans. The club has turned into a joke and it needs to be cleaned up, a broom needs to go right through the club, not at the playing level but at the management level. When will the NRL step in to fix this?

The reason Parra is over the cap is the fact that they have numerous players not playing for them that they are still paying. On top of that, they pay players well above their market value. Sandow $550K a season, Hoppa $850K a season e.t.c. Poor management and desperation caused this. The Roosters on the other hand, are a better run club and don't pay their players above market value, majority of their squad came there young and the roosters built them up as stars. The salary cap restraints mean that they are now losing players like Maloney and Tuivasa-Shek. You can't just increase the cap otherwise clubs will overspend and run themselves bankrupt. The cap is there not just to make the competition more even but also, to stem the spending of financially struggling clubs. Its not cheating just poor management.

There are some pretty major differences but no point going into them as you've clearly already made your own mind up

Why aren't there penalties for player managers ?

I've often thought the same. The amount of times you hear player X is in financial trouble because of an investment recommended by a manager. Sometimes it is just ignorance as the vast majority lack the credentials and experience to even do a ham fisted effort but all to often it is essentially graft where they are selling a stake in the investment to the player and relying on the players naivety/trust. I do wonder if the NRL should provide financial planning (they may well do I know cricket Australia does) and education of young players to try and ensure that every investment should be run past planners for a sense check.

Yes, those trusty financial mangers are the solution. Finance mangers who see conflicts of interest as mere speed-bumps would fit in very well with the shonky player managers.

i think its also amazing as to poor quality of players they have paid illegally and overs for

Our esteemed Australian Captain had 3 contracts when the Storm were caught cheating. He's his own manager so where is his excuse. His halo hasn't been dented by cheating, so maybe that has encouraged others to try to follow in his footsteps.

There's no way the 16 NRL teams are spending anywhere near the same amount on players. How can you compare the Roosters squad with most other teams? TPA's need to go, and forever, as they really advantage some teams, and are useless for others, as they have less access to big business. It isn't fair. I'm all for increasing each teams' Salary Cap by $2m. How can the Eels be cheating but still be going so bad? Maybe they're just trying to level the playing field a little, although with all the business out in the West surely they can attract some good sponsors and TPA's. Just take all their points off them for this year and that'll do; give them an even chance to do well next year. Maybe they should employ Gus Gould to do one of his 5 year plans, but make it an exclusive deal; he can no longer commentate and bug the hell out of me.

Moses has already been suspended for alleged dirty dealings, no surprise he doesn't know anything.

In the words of Miss Chernandler Bong ...from Friends Could Parra be in a bigger mess ?

Penalising them with points this year would be the equivalent of beating a dead horse. All it could do is guarantee them a spoon.

I'm not sure penalising them with points is a penalty this year...

Agree Chop and been saying it for years. Haven't renewed membership for the last couple of years and see no reason for that to change, and it has gotten to the point where I don't watch footy anymore except for origin and tests. Each year or two a new mob get voted in and it's the same ol' crap

Whatever comes of this, I hope Parra don't start next year with -4 points. About a decade ago, the Warriors began the season on -4 points. Think of the fans. There the ones who are hurting the most, while the players are counting extra money. If the NRL wants to penalize Parra, do it this year.

No doubt the current mob of clowns running the show inherited the mess from previous but given they are planning to buy their way back to glory with players on record money how long before there is yet another Eelsgate scenario? With the most envied junior development talent pool in NSW why the hell are these guys so obsessed with spending. In my memory I can't recall it ever working for them in their history.

How are the players "not aware". Say Luke Burt's example. You get a payment per the written contract, then oh hey here's an unrecorded payment for $18,000. Seems legit.

Considering what has happened to the Bulldogs and the Storm, I can't for the life of me why certain individuals take the risk. It all comes down to greed.

Beyond the salary cap, serious questions need to be asked about the management of NRL players. I mean... these people are just shonks, aren't they? In a city with 1,000 top quality accountants and financial managers, these players finish up in a web of self-interest and back-room deals. It's an absolute joke.

Is there an alternative to the salary cap as far as keeping a level playing field is concerned? Salary cap may be good in spreading the talent but it has also brought controversy to the code.