Fortune favours the cheats.

[Mr Invisible]

Fresh from the news of Parra's massive cap breach, it got me thinking about punishments.

Most of the time it's a loss of points, or a massive fine, but is that REALLY a fair resolution?

I don't believe it is. Often overlooked is the future advantage teams gain from cheating the cap, and what it allows them to build in the future.

EXAMPLE 1
Melbourne Storm went over in a big way in 2010. It stripped them of any premierships they had, etc etc etc.
Fast foward today however and their spine of Slater, Cronk, and Smith, still remain at the club, despite being illegally obtained/retained during that time.

EXAMPLE 2
Parramatta Eels breach of the cap. Knowingly over (rumoured $3 million) since 2013, they have not only been fielding an illegal side, but also improving on that side, whilst bolstering their NSW Cup ranks as well.

The following are players that Parramatta have had since the cheating began (I'm sure there are more I have missed):
Daniel Alvaro - 15/16
Issac De Gois - 14/15/16
Ken Edwards - 13/14/16
Bureto Faraimo - 14/15/15 (NSW Cup)
John Folau - 15/16 (NSW Cup)
David Gower - 14/15/16
Luke Kelly - 13/14/15/16
Tim Mannah - 13/14/15/16
Manu Ma'u - 14/15/16
Tepai Moeroa - 14/15/16
Ryan Morgan - 15/16 (NSW Cup)
Corey Norman - 14/15/16
Junior Paulo - 13/14/15/16
Nathan Peats - 14/15/16
Kaysa Pritchard - 13/14/15/16
Semi Radradra - 13/14/15/16
Brad Takairangi - 15/16
Peni Teripo - 13/14/15/16
Vai Toitai - 13/14/15/16
Anthony Watmough - 15/16
Danny Wicks - 15/16

To this breach they have also added:
Kieran Foran
Michael Gordon
Clinton Gutherson
Michael Jennings
Beau Scott

A HUGE amount of recruitment that at the time everyone KNEW Parra were over the cap.

But here comes my point. Those players above, all formed illegally into a team, after the points, after the cap, are still allowed to remain playing together.

Therefore there is little incentive for teams not to completely blow the cap through the roof, knowing that the penalty is one for a single season! Short term pain, long term gain, whilst blocking out those players from other clubs and diluting the competition through cheating.

You could say Manly are perhaps playing that same strategy.

So, here are my thoughts...

Teams that are over the cap need to be dealt with as a team, not a club level.

When a club is found over the cap, any players (still at that club) involved in ANY year the club is over the cap, should have their contracts terminated and be put up for offer to other clubs (with the weakest teams having the first pick). Once the players are resettled elsewhere, or those that have no offers, ONLY THEN should the cheating side be allowed to reform their side.

If teams knew that cheating to form a better team would result in it being torn apart if caught, then the rorting would largely stop.

Till then... fortune favours the cheats.

 

[south of heaven]

For punishment they should be handed 13 spoons be forced to wear yellow and gold and have a disgusting eel for their mascot

 

[Baseball Furies]

Fresh from the news of Parra's massive cap breach, it got me thinking about punishments.

Most of the time it's a loss of points, or a massive fine, but is that REALLY a fair resolution?

I don't believe it is. Often overlooked is the future advantage teams gain from cheating the cap, and what it allows them to build in the future.

EXAMPLE 1
Melbourne Storm went over in a big way in 2010. It stripped them of any premierships they had, etc etc etc.
Fast foward today however and their spine of Slater, Cronk, and Smith, still remain at the club, despite being illegally obtained/retained during that time.

EXAMPLE 2
Parramatta Eels breach of the cap. Knowingly over (rumoured $3 million) since 2013, they have not only been fielding an illegal side, but also improving on that side, whilst bolstering their NSW Cup ranks as well.

The following are players that Parramatta have had since the cheating began (I'm sure there are more I have missed):
Daniel Alvaro - 15/16
Issac De Gois - 14/15/16
Ken Edwards - 13/14/16
Bureto Faraimo - 14/15/15 (NSW Cup)
John Folau - 15/16 (NSW Cup)
David Gower - 14/15/16
Luke Kelly - 13/14/15/16
Tim Mannah - 13/14/15/16
Manu Ma'u - 14/15/16
Tepai Moeroa - 14/15/16
Ryan Morgan - 15/16 (NSW Cup)
Corey Norman - 14/15/16
Junior Paulo - 13/14/15/16
Nathan Peats - 14/15/16
Kaysa Pritchard - 13/14/15/16
Semi Radradra - 13/14/15/16
Brad Takairangi - 15/16
Peni Teripo - 13/14/15/16
Vai Toitai - 13/14/15/16
Anthony Watmough - 15/16
Danny Wicks - 15/16

To this breach they have also added:
Kieran Foran
Michael Gordon
Clinton Gutherson
Michael Jennings
Beau Scott

A HUGE amount of recruitment that at the time everyone KNEW Parra were over the cap.

But here comes my point. Those players above, all formed illegally into a team, after the points, after the cap, are still allowed to remain playing together.

Therefore there is little incentive for teams not to completely blow the cap through the roof, knowing that the penalty is one for a single season! Short term pain, long term gain, whilst blocking out those players from other clubs and diluting the competition through cheating.

You could say Manly are perhaps playing that same strategy.

So, here are my thoughts...

Teams that are over the cap need to be dealt with as a team, not a club level.

When a club is found over the cap, any players (still at that club) involved in ANY year the club is over the cap, should have their contracts terminated and be put up for offer to other clubs (with the weakest teams having the first pick). Once the players are resettled elsewhere, or those that have no offers, ONLY THEN should the cheating side be allowed to reform their side.

If teams knew that cheating to form a better team would result in it being torn apart if caught, then the rorting would largely stop.

Till then... fortune favours the cheats.

So punish the players for poor administration, put them "up for offer" and the weaker clubs get the first pick? Sounds ridiculous and also smells a bit like a draft, which worked really well in the past from memory...

I admire you for looking for a solution, but this sounds a lot like emotion talking and very little like a sound business decision.

 

[GrogDog]

I have never bought into the "players & coach" don't know script. Surely at tax time if nothing else they know! I get that they aren't privy to how large but if someone gives them cash etc it's fairly obvious. As if Inglis wasn't a little confused why there was a speed boat sitting in his garage?

 

[KiwiDog7]

The stink thing is Parra got Foran because obviously they paid him more (illegally)
Well at least thats what Des can tell himself at night now and not feel he chose BA over him lol

 

[bringitontm]

Out of all the players they bought last year Beau Scott had been their best

 

[doggieaaron]

I remember when parra signed chris sandow and crowe couldnt come close to matching parra and the same with watmough and tooves and i know wonder how much of forans $$ was legit

 

[Tazer]

And to top it all off Parra were allowed to sign players like Jennings all while the whole cap saga was being played out in the background. I could never understand how they got that one past the NRL.

 

[Indiandog]

isnt parra still paying Haynes TPAs or something like that?

 

[Indiandog]

i think this is a great strategy

cheat the cap and sign 6-7 super stars, get caught , cop the wooden spoon and get rid of 1-2 super star players to get under the cap and then win the comp next year or year after that just liike dogs of 04 and storm of 12.

i will take a wooden spoon for cheating the cap if it guarantees us wining the premiership the next year.

 

[Mr Invisible]

i think this is a great strategy

cheat the cap and sign 6-7 super stars, get caught , cop the wooden spoon and get rid of 1-2 super star players to get under the cap and then win the comp next year or year after that just liike dogs of 04 and storm of 12.

i will take a wooden spoon for cheating the cap if it guarantees us wining the premiership the next year.

That's exactly what I'm getting at. Perhaps they don't care about cheating the cap for that reason.

Also if you win the Minor Premiership/Premiership don't you get like $100,000/$200,000 prize money as a club or something (in other words cheat the cap, lose all points one year, get fined, and then win the comp and cover the fine the next year).

and in your scenario you do it different.

You offload all your fringe players, and use cheap decent recruits on base salary to cover the other positions.

E.G Sunasali Vunavali from Storm, Cameron Munster, Curtis Scott, Blake Green, etc etc etc

 

[Papa Emeritus]

I am furious that Parra can still make the finals. Greenturd crapping on about how it's ok because they lost their points whilst cheating.

Doesn't matter that we lost to them twice in that time. Such a load of crap.

Who cares if their fans are sad all year? Melbs fans were sad, we were sad. I hate this soft as shit CEO.

 

[boggie23]

I am furious that Parra can still make the finals. Greenturd crapping on about how it's ok because they lost their points whilst cheating.

Doesn't matter that we lost to them twice in that time. Such a load of crap.

Who cares if their fans are sad all year? Melbs fans were sad, we were sad. I hate this soft as shit CEO.

Exactly right. The NRL and Greenberg imposed the lightest possible penalty on them so they still have a chance to make and win the grand final (Greenberg even stated it that NRL will do what ever it can to help save their season).

I guess it's more of a pr punishment. He wanted to look like a caring CEO that felt bad. In reality this salary cap thing dragged on for 5-6 months now. Nothing was done proactively and most of the worst incriminating evidence was found by the media.

Just makes you think how incompetent the competition and the management are.

Statistically parra can still make it (I doubt they will though with only 3 losses maybe 4 if they are lucky to scrape in). But still I feel the punishment was created to give them a chance not wipe them out. Like the NRL wants parra to succeed.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Isn't the breach bigger than Dogs and Storm ones?

 

[N4TE]

Isn't the breach bigger than Dogs and Storm ones?

Everyone is forgetting the contracts NRL signed at the start of the year with Channel 9, Fox and the betting companies that tge GF this year is going to be Brincos vs Parramatta..

It's not hard guys the NRL have to forfill the contract..

 

[The DoggFather]

They will just retire Watmough and keep their illegally formed team.

 

[KiwiDog7]

Isn't the breach bigger than Dogs and Storm ones?

By circa $1mil

 

[CroydonDog]

Not sure if fortune has favoured Parramatta much - they haven't made the finals in about 8 years.

 

[Haddaway]

I am furious that Parra can still make the finals. Greenturd crapping on about how it's ok because they lost their points whilst cheating.

Doesn't matter that we lost to them twice in that time. Such a load of crap.

Who cares if their fans are sad all year? Melbs fans were sad, we were sad. I hate this soft as shit CEO.

Exactly. They have beaten five teams this year, us twice, thus effecting the comp unfairly. One, two or maybe all of these five teams could be fighting it out for 8th spot with Parra when they have not been allowed to win points on an even playing field. Fucking idiotic ruling by the Green turd.

 

[The Greatest]

The stink thing is Parra got Foran because obviously they paid him more (illegally)
Well at least thats what Des can tell himself at night now and not feel he chose BA over him lol

I can tell you that parra's offer to Foran was $300K over ours plus TPA..
This is all happened illegally..