National Rugby League side Wests Tigers Chair Marina Go vowed to take on the NRL over the "sensational deregistration" of CEO Justin Pascoe for failing to disclose a "lucrative" ambassadorial role for Robbie Farah when he retires, according to Andrew Webster of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The club was "left reeling" when NRL CEO Todd Greenberg handed the club a "whopping" A$750,000 ($534,000) fine -- as well as "ripping" A$639,000 ($455,000) out of next season's salary cap -- because the Tigers had not declared the arrangement when Farah left the club in '16. The sanctions came on the same day that Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan was also deregistered and his club fined A$800,000 ($570,000) for him "allegedly breaching the conditions" of his year-long suspension in '14 for his role in the peptides scandal. The punishment meted out to the Tigers "threatens to have severe implications on their on-field performance" with the club "still trying to fill three positions in its 30-man roster for next season." Go said, "We do not accept the allegations outlined in the breach notice. We reject that the club has breached the NRL rules or that our conduct warrants the sanctions proposed" (SMH, 12/19).
CRONULLA CRISIS: In Sydney, Christian Nicolussi reported the NRL had suspended Flanagan for 12 months in '14 in relation to the peptides scandal. One of the "strict conditions" of his ban was that he did not have "any contact with club officials." However, as part of the NRL's recent investigation into the Sharks salary cap, it emerged Flanagan had been in contact with club officials between January and August in '14. It is understood more than 50 emails were sent between Flanagan and club officials within weeks of him being suspended (SMH, 12/19).
STERN WARNING: In Sydney, Dean Ritchie reported angry that clubs "continue to disobey rugby league's rules," the Australian Rugby League Commission told Greenberg to "beef-up penalties," including loss of competition points. It is a "dire warning" to the next club that is caught breaking the rules. Fines, Greenberg says, do not "appear to be working." Greenberg: "I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be here again proposing penalties for breaches of the game's rules. ... When people don't follow the rules that are applied to them, we have to have consequences. We have done that consistently over the last couple of years. It's clear that if this continues to happen, the commission want us to consider bigger penalties. The biggest penalty, ultimately, outside of your livelihood, is competition points and if we have to get there, we will" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/19).
