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Should Parramatta have copped the Storm treatment?

Roar Guru
10th July, 2016
35

The NRL’s handling of the Parramatta Salary cap scandal reeks of double standards after Parramatta’s penalty and sanctions were officially made Public by Todd Greenberg on Saturday.

After a long investigation by the NRL, Parramatta were finally docked 12 points, revoked their points differential from Rounds 1 to 9 and fined $1 million.

The burning question that needs to be asked here though is, is the penalty that has been imposed on the Parramatta Club sufficient and why have they only been stripped of 12 premiership points and given the opportunity to play for points and finals football in 2016?

The Melbourne Storm were stripped of all of their premiership points and forced to play for no points for the rest of the season in 2010 after news broke that they had been found guilty of Salary Cap breaches.

Whichever way you look at it the Parramatta Club has systematically and intentionally rorted the salary cap to gain an advantage over the other NRL clubs, so why is the Parramatta Club still allowed to play for points?

Sure, they became cap compliant with the retirement of Anthony Watmough and the transfer of Nathan Peats to the Gold Coast Titans, but that still doesn’t change the fact that the Eels knowingly breached the cap. Were the Melbourne Storm Club offered the same opportunity to become salary cap compliant back in 2010 or did the NRL decide to make an example out of them by handing them the toughest possible penalty?

It will take years for the Parramatta club to recover from this scandal and other ongoing issues including the Kieran Foran, Semi Radradra and Corey Norman. Their reputation and integrity are now in tatters, and they desperately need strong Leadership, the question is where will it come from? Parramatta’s coach Brad Arthur appears to be their only saviour at the moment.

It would appear to be stating the obvious, but a broom needs to be put through their front office so that they can start anew and sooner rather than later.

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The saddest part of all though through this whole process is that the players and fans are the real victims here due to the calculated and devious actions of a few people in power at Parramatta who still refuse to take responsibility and accountability for their actions.

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