Will the Eels take the NRL to court?

After weeks of speculation, the NRL have handed down their penalty to the Parramatta Eels for salary cap breaches, with the club to lose 12 competition points, cop a fine of $1 million and possible see five senior off-field staff members deregistered by the ruling body.

Those five staff members are chairman Steve Sharp, deputy chairman Tom Issa, director Peter Serrao, CEO John Boulous and football manager Daniel Anderson.

However, this is far from the end of the saga, with Eels chairman Steve Sharp on Sunday penning a statement to the club’s supporters, saying “if the NRL decides to find fault with the club, then there will be a breach notice to which the club has 28 days to respond”.

Parra salary cap scandal
» Press conference: Parra breached the cap by $3 million, players may be investigated
» Parramatta docked 12 points, fined $1 million for salary cap breaches
» How Parramatta’s punishment compares to previous salary cap breaches
» Read the full statement from the NRL

“It is the club’s intention to analyse in detail any decision,” Sharp wrote. “We want to make sure that the investigation has treated our club fairly. We have asked, and continue to ask for natural justice and procedural fairness.

“This means we are asking for a fair hearing. For allegations to be tested. That we have the chance to face our accusers. That if there are penalties, then they are appropriate to the alleged breaches.”

Sharp also hinted at the possibility of taking the NRL to court, writing, “our club also reserves all of our legal rights. Rights which we will assert if we believe we have not been treated fairly. We are prepared to fight through the courts if need be.”

This statement was somewhat tempered last night at an Eels general board meeting. According to Fairfax, Sharp was asked by a member if he would stand down if it meant the club would avoid losing points.

“If they gave me an ultimatum [of] ‘if you go, you won’t lose any points’, I would go,” Sharp responded.

“When the findings come out, whenever they are, if we don’t believe they are correct and just we will take that challenge up for the members like yourself.

“If there have been things that have been done wrong, we will have to accept that, that it has happened on our watch,

“We have to wait for that… and go from there.”

But the Eels have been served both punishments – the club likely to lose 12 points and see their chairman lose his position, although some Parra fans would surely see the latter as a blessing.