David Bird
22-02-06, 04:38 PM
NEW Zealand Warriors could be docked up to six competition points and hit with a huge fine in rugby league's latest salary cap scandal.
After yesterday owning up to player-payment "discrepancies", it is understood the Aucklanders will be the first team in 98 years of premiership history to start the season on fewer than zero points.
It's easily the biggest player-payment scandal since the Bulldogs were stripped of the minor premiership in 2002.
The Courier-Mail understands the list of rorts included:
• Funnelling payments to players through owner Cullen Investments.
• Offering stars highly paid employment after they retire.
• Paying for player agents to fly to and from New Zealand whenever they wanted to.
• Helping players secure commercial arrangements and then only partially declaring them to the NRL.
Warriors chairman Maurice Kidd last night indicated he would fight any move to strip the club of points before the season started.
"It's obviously within their powers to do that but we wouldn't be happy with that," Kidd said.
Asked if he thought the points should instead be deducted from the Warriors' 2005 total in the game's record books, Kidd said: "That's right. We haven't got into those issues yet."
But NRL chief executive David Gallop countered: "While it's too early to speculate on penalty, all clubs and fans have known competition points are in jeopardy when breaches strike at the heart of the competition's fairness."
Former Warriors chief executive Mick Watson is high on the list of interviewees the club is chasing in its investigation.
The NRL may also seek to speak to him.
Kidd said the work Watson was to do for Cullen Investments after leaving the Warriors "fell through".
When informed of the drama yesterday Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad said: "If it's a systematic approach to circumventing the salary cap, our fans would expect the NRL to take very stern action."
NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert first got wind of the anomalies at the end of last season – when the previous administration led by Watson was departing.
He warned owner Eric Watson he would be conducting a full audit in early 2006.
The new Warriors hierarchy, led by Kidd, then decided to go on the front foot.
They told the NRL a week ago they had found irregularities themselves.
"The chief executive (Wayne Scurrah) called me last Monday and said 'I think we've got a problem'," Kidd said.
"(He) was preparing for the NRL auditor . . . they came across things that looked a bit, uh, unusual."
It's thought the club is risking a fine of $100,000 or more but going public will be the one mitigating factor
"Penalties handed out over the years have reflected that the level of concealment will be a factor, along with the size of the breach, in the penalty," Gallop said.
"Equally, the level of co-operation is a factor in their favour."
But while he said he wanted to be "transparent", Kidd indicated the club didn't have much choice.
The Warriors lost four international players last year.
Steve Mascord, Rugby league
22feb06
Source (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18230430%255E10389,00.html)
After yesterday owning up to player-payment "discrepancies", it is understood the Aucklanders will be the first team in 98 years of premiership history to start the season on fewer than zero points.
It's easily the biggest player-payment scandal since the Bulldogs were stripped of the minor premiership in 2002.
The Courier-Mail understands the list of rorts included:
• Funnelling payments to players through owner Cullen Investments.
• Offering stars highly paid employment after they retire.
• Paying for player agents to fly to and from New Zealand whenever they wanted to.
• Helping players secure commercial arrangements and then only partially declaring them to the NRL.
Warriors chairman Maurice Kidd last night indicated he would fight any move to strip the club of points before the season started.
"It's obviously within their powers to do that but we wouldn't be happy with that," Kidd said.
Asked if he thought the points should instead be deducted from the Warriors' 2005 total in the game's record books, Kidd said: "That's right. We haven't got into those issues yet."
But NRL chief executive David Gallop countered: "While it's too early to speculate on penalty, all clubs and fans have known competition points are in jeopardy when breaches strike at the heart of the competition's fairness."
Former Warriors chief executive Mick Watson is high on the list of interviewees the club is chasing in its investigation.
The NRL may also seek to speak to him.
Kidd said the work Watson was to do for Cullen Investments after leaving the Warriors "fell through".
When informed of the drama yesterday Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad said: "If it's a systematic approach to circumventing the salary cap, our fans would expect the NRL to take very stern action."
NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert first got wind of the anomalies at the end of last season – when the previous administration led by Watson was departing.
He warned owner Eric Watson he would be conducting a full audit in early 2006.
The new Warriors hierarchy, led by Kidd, then decided to go on the front foot.
They told the NRL a week ago they had found irregularities themselves.
"The chief executive (Wayne Scurrah) called me last Monday and said 'I think we've got a problem'," Kidd said.
"(He) was preparing for the NRL auditor . . . they came across things that looked a bit, uh, unusual."
It's thought the club is risking a fine of $100,000 or more but going public will be the one mitigating factor
"Penalties handed out over the years have reflected that the level of concealment will be a factor, along with the size of the breach, in the penalty," Gallop said.
"Equally, the level of co-operation is a factor in their favour."
But while he said he wanted to be "transparent", Kidd indicated the club didn't have much choice.
The Warriors lost four international players last year.
Steve Mascord, Rugby league
22feb06
Source (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18230430%255E10389,00.html)