National Rugby League side Gold Coast has been fined A$300,000 ($263,000) "and hit with a suspended penalty of four competition points over a salary cap breach in regard to former playmaker Scott Prince," according to the AAP. Prince left the Titans at the end of '12 and the penalty "was issued after an investigation by the NRL integrity unit which was instigated by the new management of the club." Four other clubs, Manly, Newcastle, Sydney Roosters and the Wests Tigers, "have been issued with fines" of more than A$90,000 for less serious cap breaches. However the NRL said that "there was no evidence of systematic rorting of the salary cap at the Titans" (AAP, 10/16). In Sydney, Chris Barrett wrote the NRL admitted that "it was unable to fully investigate claims of serious salary cap irregularities at Brisbane because it could not access information" from the Broncos Leagues Club or speak to former club Operations Chief Andrew Gee. The Titans CEO at the time, David May, "will essentially be banned from any future involvement in the game as will Gee." NRL GM of Integrity Nick Weeks said, "Given the evidence currently before us, there are former officials from both clubs who are unlikely to be registered to be involved in the NRL in the future" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 10/16). Also in Sydney, Brent Read wrote Gee, who was GM of football operations at the Broncos until resigning earlier this year, "refused to comply with NRL requests." The NRL "still had the power to sanction the Broncos on the balance of probabilities but opted not to do so" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 10/16).
A NEW DIRECTION: In Sydney, Read reported in a separate piece South Sydney CEO Shane Richardson has urged the code to use Parramatta player Jarryd Hayne’s exit "as an opportunity to set a new direction for the game" following revelations French Rugby union attempted to lure Rabbitohs player Greg Inglis with offers of more than A$2M a season earlier this year. Richardson said that the NRL "needs to think more strategically if it wants to retain players." Richardson said, "We have a magnificent product but we can’t just stay where we are, stagnate where we are. It’s not all right. We need to fix it" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 10/17).
