Storm damage
Written on Thursday, 22 April 2010 17:41
THE CRIME
- $1.7 million in salary cap breaches over the last five years
- $700,000 over the salary cap in 2010
- Stripped of the 2007 & 2009 premeirships
- Stripped of three minor premierships
- Fined $500,000
- Ordered to return $1.1 million of prizemoney
- Inleigible to play for premiership points in 2010
REACTION
CRAIG BELLAMY, STORM COACH
"This is an absolute shock to myself, to our football staff, to our players. Personally I am heartbroken."
ROB MOODIE, STORM CHAIRMAN
"Today is a most unbelievable blow and this is the lowest day in the club's history."
JOHN HARTIGAN, NEWS LIMITED
"Today is a regrettable day in history of the game. I don't think there will be a league fan anywhere who is not outraged by what appears to be a highly organised, deeply deceptive fraud in which there was systematic and deliberate concealment of unlawful payments to certain players over an extended period."
MOLLY MELDRUM, FAN
"I have heard the news and what more can I say except I am utterly devastated."
ANDREW DEMETRIOU, AFL CHIEF EXECUTIVE
"As someone who works in a code I congratulate the NRL for the position they have taken. They have obviously done some extensive work to come up with these findings. All supporters want to know is that the code is being run with the highest integrity and issue relating to salary cap rorting are issues that all clubs take very, very seriously."
OPINION
PAUL COLGAN, THE PUNCH
"The justice exacted by NRL management has been swift and terrible: the Storm has been stripped of two premierships, all of its points so far this season, and will accrue no further points this year."
ANDREW STEVENSON, NATIONAL TIMES
"When the world exists to be won, when victory is all that counts - and make no mistake that is essence of professional rugby league - why would it surprise anyone that a club would cheat its way to the top?"
RON REED, HERALD SUN
"The club might recover in time, but the reputations of the individuals involved never will."
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