Salary Cap Rort Puts Agents Under Spotlight
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday February 23, 2006
THE Player Managers Executive last night welcomed the New Zealand Warriors salary-cap drama developing into a test case for the character of agents - even if it led to one of their number being thrown out of the game.
Steve Gillis, the PME president, told the Herald: "We'd have no problem with any investigation by the league into agents. This is about projecting a good image for player managers in the eyes of established players and the parents of young players, and if there are unscrupulous managers out there let them be dealt with by the powers that be."One of the players managed by Gillis is Warriors outside back Todd Byrne, who joined the club from Sydney Roosters last season.Asked if Byrne's contract was under any sort of scrutiny, Gillis replied: "Not at all. It was a straight up-and-down contract and all of the documents were submitted to the league." The Warriors case comes soon after the NRL's establishment of the player agent accreditation scheme, which puts accredited agents under an obligation to adhere to a code of practice formulated in consultation with the league. NRL chief executive David Gallop last night made it clear the league's Player Agent Accreditation Committee, led by barrister Geoff Bellew, would not be a toothless tiger."If it is established that agents have been involved in any wrongdoings, I would expect the accreditation committee to become involved as soon as possible," Gallop said.The Warriors may be looking down the barrel of a fine of up to $500,000 and the loss of four to six competition points for salary-cap breaches, but club chairman Maurice Kidd said last night he would continue to fight hard on behalf of the club.Kidd believes no matter what the league's findings turn out to be, a massive fine and the loss of points would be too harsh."I don't think the sort of penalties being suggested in the media are realistic," Kidd said. "I believe they'd be an overreaction."We won't know what the league plans to do until the investigation is complete, but a points deduction in particular would be extremely damaging to the game in New Zealand and debilitating to our players and fans."Asked about the league's forwarding of preliminary findings to the Warriors yesterday - with a view towards obtaining answers by tomorrow to questions directed at the management - Kidd said he did not wish to comment.He said club chief executive Wayne Scurrah had told the players to concentrate on preparing for their trial game against the Bulldogs at the Gold Coast on Saturday night.Kidd is back in New Zealand after meeting NRL officials on Monday, while Scurrah is staying with the team."Wayne told them to focus on football," Kidd said. "He told them dealing with the salary cap was a management issue."The Warriors case has created confusion over exactly what a club can say to a player it is trying to sign about the possibility of post-career job opportunities.Clubs can tell players that there are employment opportunities, that the club has great business contacts and may be able to help the player in that area at career's end. But clubs can't promise or guarantee jobs to players as an element of contract negotiations.It is understood some of the deals being investigated in the Warriors case do not involve arrangements that are necessarily against the salary-cap rules, but rather that they were not disclosed by the club to the league. Gold Coast managing director Michael Searle met Scott Prince yesterday and said the Wests Tigers captain was the Titans' top priority but that he was not about to throw the chequebook at him."I'm probably no more or less confident," said Searle about signing Prince. "We will table an offer next Tuesday. We have not talked terms or money, we thought it was an inappropriate time."
© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald