A "potential smoking gun has emerged" in the National Rugby League's investigation into a third-party arrangement with Parramatta player Anthony Watmough as "the probe into the embattled club widens," according to Proszenko & Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The governing body is "aware of damning evidence that Eels officials ignored warnings" from a senior club exec that a TPA "involving the marquee Manly recruit could be a breach of the salary cap." The development again "raises the prospect of Parramatta being docked competition points, while powerbrokers who didn't fully disclose the information to head office -- a clear breach of the code of conduct governing administrators -- could face serious sanctions, including the sack." The governing body had "launched a probe into Parramatta over payments" from two companies of which Stephen Moss -- the son of Eels "tragic and former" Macquarie Bank Exec Bill Moss -- is the sole director. The issue relates to third-party payments from Scorecube -- a wholly owned subsidiary of BlackCitrus -- to Watmough that were "allegedly not properly disclosed to head office." The NRL is "aware of documents that show some Eels officials were aware of the issues but chose not to act on them." There were suggestions that rental assistance provided to former forward Richie Fa'aoso "could constitute a salary cap breach." But according to the NRL "the issue was declared by the Eels" (SMH, 3/9).
