Former National Rugby League side Roosters CEO Bernie Gurr "has called for the NRL to publish all player salaries and pay them out of head office" to ensure the salary cap is not being rorted, according to Adrian Proszenko of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The game's integrity has "again been questioned" after it was revealed that Eddie Obeid Jr., the son of "disgraced" former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid, allegedly organized salary tops ups to Parramatta players that were not "properly disclosed to the NRL." It has also come to light that a string of high-profile Cowboys players -- including star Johnathan Thurston, co-captain Matt Scott and State of Origin player James Tamou -- "have acquired properties from long-serving North Queensland chairman and property developer Laurence Lancini." There "is already widespread cynicism among clubs and supporters about player payments, particularly the third-party variety." Under the rules, TPAs "are not allowed to be negotiated by clubs as an incentive to sign, but there is a shadowy world where players often receive payments off the books." Gurr said, "The NRL should be a clearing house for all contracts and third-party agreements. So if a club negotiates a contract and a manager negotiates a TPA, both of those are lodged with the league. The player and manager would sign a stat dec saying the only money the player got was the money that was with the contract and TPA lodged with the NRL." Many of the professional American sports publicly declare the salaries of the players and Gurr believes that "there are advantages in rugby league following suit." Ironically, it was revealed that Parramatta is still paying Jarryd Hayne about A$50,000 ($36,000) this year "when all of his earnings at the San Francisco 49ers are on the public record." Gurr: "If you view the salary cap as an important mechanism in the game, then you want transparency and integrity" (SMH, 7/26).
