NRL boss Todd Greenberg has promised the governing body will play a major role in who runs Parramatta once the salary cap saga is over.
Greenberg confirmed on Saturday the Eels had lost 12 competition points and fined $1 million for systemic salary cap breaches dating back to the 2013 season.
It means the Eels have officially fallen to 12th on the ladder and need to win all of their remaining eight games to meet the traditional 28-point minimum cut-off to make the finals.
Five Parramatta officials – chairman Steve Sharp, deputy chairman Tom Issa, club director Peter Serrao, chief executive John Boulous and football manager Daniel Anderson – have also been deregistered.
With the Eels having the right to appeal the final determination, they responded by saying they would review all documents before issuing a public reply.
However, Greenberg said league central would move to play a critical part in helping the Eels get back on their feet and not repeat the mistakes of previous administrations.
“The NRL has deliberately decided not to intervene in the affairs of the club while this investigation has been under way but that changes now,” Greenberg said on Saturday.
“We want to see a strong board and we will do all we can to facilitate that.
“We will be calling on the board, and working with the members, to install a management team which sets the club on the right path for the future.”
Greenberg took aim at the so-called Eels’ ‘gang of five’, accusing them of failing to take responsibility for the former powerhouse club’s mess.
“These five officials have damaged the game,” he said.
“They have damaged the club and they’ve let their fans down. Let me say this is not an easy call to make, especially for someone like Steve Sharp.
“The overall impression that I got from the responses is that no one at the club has taken responsibility for the deliberate, systemic and blatant breaches of the salary cap … we have to take a strong stand to preserve the integrity of the salary cap and the competition.”
Eels coach Brad Arthur admitted Parramatta’s front office needed an overhaul.
“To say I’m disappointed is an understatement,” Arthur told Triple M radio.
“I feel really sorry for our playing group, for our fans.
“I haven’t bought into the politics all along. Really, my job is to coach the team and my job is to focus on that. I just hope that we can, as a club, move forward. We do need to be better run off the field.”
The Barry
Roar Guru
"It's time the NRLstepped up and took some blame..."
The Barry
Roar Guru
still blaming others...
steve b
Roar Guru
Mate can you read or what I am blaming the board at parra but what my point is the governing body knew something was not right years ago and they could have stepped in then not waited till it got to the mess it is now. Members made statements to the NRL that things we're not above board in 2014 nothing was done by our governing body.As for loser culture what a load of BS .
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yep - would have thought that was pretty obvious.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Typical response blaming everyone else. Parra's board stuffed this, not Greenberg, not the NRL, not TPA rules. The first step to fixing this is actually accepting some responsibility. Blaming everyone and everything else will never fix Parramatta's loser culture.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The NRL is lumping TPA's into the salary cap because the club has guaranteed them or been involved in them. Otherwise they would not have had the issue.
fazed
Roar Rookie
No issues with the NRL helping however as long as they don't become dictatorial in the approach. The 5 people who are affected should go, & so should the remaining board members, the members are pushing for reform & that will come sooner rather than later and that is how it should be. The next step in this mess that must come from the NRL as it cannot come from any other arena is for the NRL to launch an investigation into the various player managers and the way they are dealing with the TPA payments. If a club cannot legally be involved with them nor can they guarantee them, why is that the NRL is lumping them onto the clubs to pay them & include in the cap as they have done with the eels? Did the shonk insider information provided by Todd Greenburgs former mate under NDO agreement the eels club board agree to waver play a part in this so called investigation & what part did that person play in the whole business? As many questions that has been answered for the NRL there are too many more to be answered by them to not just the supporters as well as eels members but by every such supporter across the NRL boards as to how they are operating. Every supporter no matter their team know that their are issues abounding but seems the heads are too frightened to do real investigation to clear it all up. The eels board has gotten their just deserts, but the supporters have been dished up with sour cream that has gone off, time the NRL really decided to crack down on the whole issue across all boards, clubs and more so the agents.
steve b
Roar Guru
Its time the NRL stepped up and took some blame how many years has this been going on Parra members have been screaming out for an age for the governing body to step in and have a mummy look at the BS we call the Parra board but no they just gave them enough rope. The cap is terrible the way TPA are handled the system needs a major overhaul starting at the top.And who suffers the most the players and the fans oh yeah well done NRL.
Bup
Guest
Why isn't the media putting the blow torch on Greenberg and the clear relationship with Seward and the advice given on rorting TPAs .