NRL boss Todd Greenberg has categorically ruled out the possibility of the Melbourne Storm having their 2007 and 2009 NRL premierships returned on his watch.
Melbourne captain Cameron Smith, Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy and the club’s disgraced former CEO Brian Waldron have all pleaded in the past week for the league to give back the stripped titles.
Smith claimed at the NRL season launch that the Storm’s punishment for systematically breaching the salary cap by $3.7 million over five years didn’t fit the crime.
Greenberg, though, is having none of it.
“I can’t make any deliberations on what happened back in 2010 because I simply wasn’t there,” Greenberg told Fox Sports’ League Life program to be aired on Thursday night.
“People will judge that historically. I can’t do that. All I can do is judge what is placed in front of me.
“When you make decisions around salary caps there are a number of levels to consider.
“There is a financial impact on a club, there is a salary cap impact on a club, there are points (deductions) that we did with Parramatta.
“There are obviously premierships during that time if they have won them. Then last, which we have done a number of, there is people’s registrations to work in the game. There are five components.”
The Storm’s plea for the NRL to revisit the club’s punishment came after Greenberg said Cronulla weren’t stripped of their 2016 title, despite also being fined for salary-cap breaches between 2013 and 2017, because the Sharks were under the cap during their premiership season.
“On the occasion of the Sharks, we felt in 2016 the decisions we made on sanctions had no ability for us to change the premierships,” Greenberg said.
“Cameron and I have a pretty good relationship so it isn’t the first time I have heard him raise it.
“I have said this to him and I will say it again today – I am not going backwards to look at historical issues. I am only going to play what is on front of me.”
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