A team meeting involving National Rugby League side Parramatta players "appears destined to turn into a wake as the NRL prepares to savage the club’s finals aspirations over allegations of salary cap irregularities," according to Read & McDonald of THE AUSTRALIAN. Eels player Nathan Peats "revealed the players had made plans to come together as they brace for the NRL to finally deliver sanctions against the club." The game’s governing body is reportedly "ready to hit the Eels hard, suggesting the penalty could go well beyond the eight premiership points that have been widely speculated in recent weeks" -- the club already has a "suspended four-point penalty hanging over their heads from previous indiscretions." Parramatta Chair Steve Sharp and his board "are also expected to come under heavy scrutiny." Sharp has launched a "rearguard action in recent days, branding the claims against the club a smear campaign" and reiterating his plans to launch legal action against the NRL over sanctions. That legal action "appears destined to fail, although the club is likely to be successful in seeking an extended period to respond to any sanctions" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/3). In Melbourne, Proszenko & Barrett reported Sharp "has vowed he will fall on his sword and resign if it spares the club being docked competition points." Eels officials "avoided the issue of the cap and pending sanctions for almost the entirety of Monday night's Parramatta Leagues Club annual general meeting." However, just after the gathering passed the three-hour mark, a "passionate member approached the lectern" during the "general business" section of the night. He asked whether Sharp -- whose mantra is "Club first, team second, individual third" -- would stand aside "if it meant placating the NRL and sparing the club the docking of points." Sharp: "If they gave me an ultimatum [of] 'If you go, you won't lose any points,' I would go." Up until this point, Sharp and his board "have resisted any pressure to stand aside." But his "big statement, in front of the club's most passionate fans, is the first indication he will be prepared to stand aside in the hope of mitigating any punishments" (THE AGE, 5/2).
MEMBERS DEMAND SAY: Proszenko reported in a separate piece there were "fears that members, angry at board and management for the cap dramas engulfing the club, would howl down every resolution." However, "the most controversial, about whether members should have a say in its sale, received 186 votes." There were 263 members in attendance. The board claimed that, as it stood at present, "it was able to sell the club to whomever it pleased without member consultation." There was the "usual robust discussion about whether the amendment passed legal muster," but the members made it clear they wanted the "ultimate say" on privatization (THE AGE, 5/2).
