Storm report

[Guest]

Seems like a few here picked it early.

Backwards? Chook?

http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/lea...713-109fc.html

[stsae]

LOL, Gus said it best on The Roast.

Something along the lines of the way our code does the independent inquiry thing, the way so-called independent people find exactly what those who comission the inquiry want to be found and determined.

It was in relation to the NSW inquiry into all things Origin.

Its the same thing here.

Ive said it a thousand times over the last 13yrs, NewsRL are raping our game of funds and credibility to sell newspapers.

This latest sham just highlights the TRUE nature of NewsRL.

I hate Melba, the whole stench of their existence, from day 1 theyve operated under NewsRLs umbrella of hypocracy. Now even I feel pity for them, and I feel dirty cos of that.

But again The Wankos, the real deal of EVIL in RL, are teflon.

So the game goes on. NewsRL save us from the evil Wally Waldren. Its sick.

[Guest]

Good on Dr Moodie. Hope he sticks it up News

News commission an "independent" report. They have had the report since last week. They have not given the report to the independent directors as yet. They have now said that the report won't be released in full and will select what is released to the public

They also have the audacity to ask for the independent directors to stand down, when they have not even given them the "independent" report. Didn't News have 2 appointed directors on the board who remain with News - what's their role?

As Moodie said, and as we all thought, the "independent" report is nothing but a ploy by News to get the findings it wants to cover its ass

[elo]

It's the Bulldogs all over again, watch the Storm win a Premiership in the next few seasons with the same core players on "re-negiotiated" contracts.

What a farce.

[stephenj]

they never had any intention of braking up the core group!and as such they can only get stronger the longer they play together?

[stsae]

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...714-10b46.html

Let us see full salary cap audit: Storm directors
GLENN JACKSON AND TOM REILLY
July 15, 2010

EVEN though he admits he may not see the full report himself, NRL chief executive David Gallop has rejected claims by Melbourne chairman Rob Moodie that the report into the Storm's salary cap, commissioned by News Ltd and expected to be released today, will not be independent.

But that view is likely to be tested again with the revelation that News will release to the public only a short summary of the official report by auditor Deloitte. The summary, which it is thought may be as small as 12 pages, has been compiled by the media company. A News spokesman said yesterday the company was unable to release the full report for legal reasons but that the summary would be ''a dozen'' pages and would include an overview of the club's finances and details of player payments, how the salary cap breaches were structured and who was involved.

A source close to the Melbourne Storm's independent board members said it was ''ridiculous'' that News was releasing only a summary of Deloitte's findings. The insider said: ''The directors have always felt that the Deloitte audit was only commissioned with a view to exonerating News and in order that they look respectable in relation to corporate governance. But the fact News Ltd will only make public their synopsis of what Deloitte found shows they have no intention of being upfront about the findings.

''The directors have always maintained they want transparency, but again it seems we're not getting it.''

The forensic auditing into the salary-cap breaches by Melbourne between 2006 and this year, which led to the stripping of two premierships and all competition points from this season, was handed to News executives last week. But the fact the findings have not yet been released has heightened the fears of Melbourne's independent directors.

The relationship between the directors - Moodie, Gerry Ryan, Peter Maher and Petra Fawcett - and the NRL and News has become increasingly strained, and there were suggestions last night that News Ltd chief executive John Hartigan was preparing to sack the four, who have taken legal action against the NRL over its punishment, today. The Herald revealed yesterday Moodie was asked to resign on Tuesday by News chief operating officer Peter Macourt, given the report found the club's breaches over five years amounted to $3.2 million, almost double what had been initially thought.

Moodie flew to Vienna yesterday on business but not before turning up the heat on the NRL and News. He maintained the investigation should have been carried out by the NRL before the club was handed its punishments, and not by an auditor funded by the club's owners.

Gallop responded by saying: ''We conducted our investigation and found wholesale salary cap rorting. We imposed penalties on the basis of what we found and what the Storm admitted to. They accepted those penalties and those penalties remain 100 per cent appropriate.''

Gallop also defended the integrity of the Deloitte report, suggesting News had no choice but to pay for it as 100 per cent owners of the club. ''I don't understand the criticism of that process,'' he said.

Gallop said he had not seen the report and was ''not sure'' whether he would be given access to the complete version or the News summary.

''It will be important that [NRL salary cap auditor] Ian Schubert gets an opportunity to verify the findings. While he's already had some discussion with Deloitte, I'm sure he's keen to see the findings himself.''

But Gallop stressed the NRL's major interest in the report related to the Storm's salary cap position for 2011. ''No doubt the salary cap auditor will look at the report in relation to their 2011 position, but we have dealt with them for the period between 2006 and 2010,'' he said.

While it will be ultimately up to Schubert to determine how far over the cap the Storm will be in 2011, Gallop thought the Deloitte figure - believed to be $1.3 million - would be the final one, meaning Storm officials will likely be able to quickly press on with plans for next year.

Moodie said it was ''unfair to so many people, like staff and players whose lives are being held in the balance'' while the report remained with News but was not available to the Storm.

Gallop described as nonsense Moodie's assertion yesterday that the NRL and News did not have the best interests of the Storm at heart.

[stsae]

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...714-10b49.html

Club directors won't resign, will continue fight against News Ltd
TOM REILLY
July 15, 2010

MELBOURNE's legal challenge against the NRL's punishments for salary cap breaches will continue even if the club's independent board members are sacked by its owners, News Ltd.

Four members of the club's board are taking rugby league's administrators to the Victorian Supreme Court claiming the decision to strip the side of two premierships and banning them from earning points this season was done without due process.

But, as revealed exclusively in the Herald, a senior director with News Ltd called on the directors to stand down on Tuesday. Although Storm chairman Dr Rob Moodie has insisted they will not resign, there was speculation last night that News Ltd may sack the quartet.

However, a source close to the directors said that even if this occurred, the litigation against the NRL would continue. "News are desperate for the directors to stop the court case but dismissing them from the club isn't going to make this happen," the insider said.

"If they're sacked, the case would then be brought against the NRL by the club's supporters. The fans' legal right to do this was established at the very first hearing. The directors are determined that this action go ahead, even if it isn't brought by them. In fact, it was never about the board. They are pressing ahead with this because they feel responsible to the fans, players and everyone involved with the club."

Leading Melbourne lawyer Peter Gordon represented the Storm supporters at the initial hearing against the NRL in May and has continued to follow the legal proceedings that are due to culminate in a three-day hearing early next month.

The Herald understands that should the independent directors be sacked, it is likely the legal team challenging the NRL, headed by Leon Zwier of Arnold Bloch Leibler, would remain the same. It is also thought the wealthy supporters who have bankrolled the legal stoush would continue to fund the litigation.

The four directors - Moodie, Gerry Ryan, Peter Maher and Petra Fawcett - are seeking an injunction to have the NRL-imposed penalties overturned and have the case heard by an independent body.

Any move against these board members is likely to prove deeply unpopular with Storm fans.

Supporter Nicholas Bishop, who has collected more than 4000 signatures in an online petition to have the Storm play for points this year, believes there is a growing resentment towards News Ltd.

"The mood among the fans is definitely turning against News," he said. "If those four were sacked from the board I think you'd see some very strong protests against News."

[stephenj]

dont they know theyre nolonger wanted in our game!?

[Vasco]

Let’s take a look at some of Hartigan’s (aka Ruperts “clean-up man”) comments:

• “He also took aim at Storm chairman Rob Moodie, branding his suggestions that Deloitte was doctoring its report to suit News Limited as "defamatory and patently absurd". Speaking outside News Limited's Surry Hills offices yesterday, Hartigan revealed the report would name players.”

• "Our job is about rebuilding the club so I want to make this club totally open, transparent and for them to be able to rebuild with the players and the best team we can get.

Deloitte doctoring it’s report!?!?!!?…that is a certainty!!!

Hartigan denying it and claiming it is “defamatory”!?!?!!?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….. I’m on the floor...

From that article it looks like Hartigan and News Ltd want to give the image that:

1. The Melbourne Storm were completely corrupt at the time and rorted the salary cap system.
2. Some of the directors and players were involved, but only the ones involved will be named today.
3. News Ltd had no knowledge of the rorts.
4. News Ltd has acted piously and justly when dealing with these rorts.
5. Showing to the public that News Ltd are a “moral and ethical” organisation and follow the processes of authority.

This is a massive “spin doctor” report…

At the press conference today:

"No evidence that the players were involved..."

“We are disappointed with these people who were involved...”

“RATS IN THE RANKS”

“I was never aware of any breach” (This is the CEO of News Ltd claiming this!)

“To the fans, we at News Ltd share your pain...”

The clean up man at work.

Rupert would be proud.

[stsae]

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...715-10bru.html

News Ltd sack independent Storm directors, no evidence that players knew of cap rorting
CHRIS BARRETT
July 15, 2010 - 2:40PM

$1.1 million in playing talent goes
Bellamy cleared
Report referred to police
Five managers named as knowing
Players and directors criticised

The News Ltd-commissioned report into the Melbourne Storm salary cap rorting has pointed the finger at five senior officials for orchestrating and being involved in the illegal payment of players.

Three months after the Storm's salary cap scandal broke News Ltd chairman John Hartigan and the company's chief operating officer Peter Macourt have today released a summarised version of a forensic audit of the club carried out by the accountancy firm Deloitte.

The report reveals that Melbourne contravened the salary cap by almost double the figure that had been estimated by the NRL when it handed down its penalty in April.

It said that the Storm had exceeded the cap by $3.17 million over the five years between 2006 and 2010 and were on schedule to be $1.3 million over the cap for next year.

Hartigan said the four independent directors of the Storm, who have launched legal action against the NRL, had been removed from their posts this morning.

He said of the four - chairman Rob Moodie, Petra Fawcett, Peter Maher and Gerry Ryan - only Fawcett had agreed to participate in the auditor's investigation.

The changes, he said were made by Valimanda, the News Ltd subsidiary that owns the Storm.

Hartigan pinpointed five current and former senior officials as being behind or being involved in some way in the illegal payment of players.

They are former chief executives Brian Waldron and Matt Hanson, former chief financial officer Paul Gregory, former recruitment chief Peter O'Sullivan and another ex-financial boss Cameron Vale.

Hartigan said of the five officials only Vale co-operated with the audit.

Hartigan said the findings of the report would be referred to police.

"Is it fraud? That's something for the police to decide," he said.

Hartigan said the report may be made available to the NRL, while the Australian Taxation Office has also shown interest in the investigation's outcome.

Hartigan said there was no evidence players knew of the cap rorts, but said no player co-operated with the Deloitte investigation.

Victoria Police said News Ltd had yet to make a complaint.

"At this stage Victoria Police is not investigating and the matter has not been referred to us," a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

Waldron, O'Sullivan and Vale have all departed the club while Hanson and Gregory have been suspended from duty since the salary cap penalty was invoked on April 22.

O'Sullivan is now the Sydney Roosters recruitment manager while Vale is chief financial officer at AFL club North Melbourne. Macourt later said that O'Sullivan might not have knowledge of the payments.

"There is no place for them in our club," said Hartigan who expects Hanson and Gregory to be sacked by a newly constituted Storm board.

"There is evidence ... that some of the people worked together to cover their tracks. The club engaged in wide-ranging and elaborate cheating and must take its medicine.

"We had some rats in our ranks. A small group of senior officials at the club orchestrated the payments."

Stephen Rue was appointed to the Storm board alongside Craig Watt and Frank Stanton, the acting chief executive.

There were also details in the report of the players who received the extra payments.

Hartigan listed them in alphabetical order; seven are current players, six have since left the club.

They are: Will Chambers, Michael Crocker, Cooper Cronk, Matt Geyer, Ryan Hoffman, Greg Inglis, Dallas Johnson, Antonio Kaufusi, Anthony Quinn, Billy Slater, captain Cameron Smith, Steve Turner and Brett White.

However, he said there was no evidence that the players were knowingly complicit in the club's rorting of the salary cap.

The report says three players - Inglis, Smith and Slater - had signed or had their managers sign "side letters" with the Storm that showed amounts to be paid well in excess of the contracts they had lodged with the NRL.

These letters also were not evidence of involvement of the rort by players, said Hartigan.

Hartigan also said coach Craig Bellamy had been exonerated in full by the Deloitte report.

The 15-page report released at News Ltd headquarters in Surry Hills also outlined the ways in which the Storm were able to achieve the rort.

They centre around illegal third party payments as well as supposed "donations" and "consulting fees" involving several entities including the charity Unity Foundation and entertainment company the McManus Group.

But the report also found no evidence to suggest these companies knew the payments were contributing to a salary cap breach.

The main method of payment involved the club arranging for third parties to "employ" and/or pay players, the report said.

The third parties issued invoices to the club for amounts described as donations or consulting fees.

The club paid the invoices, said the report, and they were recorded in the accounts under these titles rather than as payments to players.

Other illegal methods identified included the guaranteeing of their party agreements, the provision of cars to players and members of their family, gift vouchers to players, rental assistance, airfares for personal travel by players and their immediate family members and other benefits such as payments for a boat and media training.






That will do me, theyve sacked everyone THEY say is involved.

Everyone questioning THEIR involvement.

Everyone THEY let go or sacked.

Unfarkingbelievable.

[stephenj]

now to the current rumour of storm players refusing to play out the year? will news sack them too?

[supermario]

now to the current rumour of storm players refusing to play out the year? will news sack them too?

I heard that this morning on MMM, apparently they will not be boarding their flight to NZ which they were due to do today.

Considering they play the game tomorrow, if they don;t get on the flight, they will not make the game.

[Guest]

Apparently they're going, according to Sky News

[stephenj]

its a long swim!

[stephenj]

or they could forfeit, wasnt that what the super league teams did starting up the war? that was what we did taking a home game to christchurch!