I have sat down with my laptop set atop, just minutes after comprehending the present ramifications of the Melbourne Storm deception and aftermath, being presented as follows…
Stripped of the 2007 and 2009 NRL premierships
Stripped of the minor premierships of 2006-08
Stripped of all competition points for the 2010 seasonFined $500,000
Will be forced to return $1.1 million in prizemoney (prizemoney to be distributed evenly among the other 15 clubs)
Individual awards by players will continue to be recognised
Neither Manly (2007) nor Parramatta (2009) will assume the premiership titles in their respective years
Salary cap breaches amounted to at least $1.7 million over five years
Salary cap breach around $400,000 in 2009
Salary cap breach projected to be $700,000 in 2010
NRL says the Storm maintained a dual-contract system
From initial reports, it seems that the picture being painted is that certain individual “persons” were behind this long history of lies, not involving the board and owners… one would also assume, the players!
The investigations revealed the Storm maintained a dual contract system, with the club confirming that side letters promising extra payments were stored in a secret file.
“The most damning indictment is the systematic attempt by persons within the club to conceal payments from the salary cap auditor and, it would now seem certain from the club’s board and from its owners, on an ongoing basis,” Gallop said.
“It was through this system that they were able to attract and retain some of the biggest names in rugby league.
“In doing so they have let down the game, the players and the fans of the Melbourne Storm.”
As I think about this, still, my question is, what about the players, the player’s managers, and the coaches?
The cynic says, where there is smoke, show me the fire, however, how complete this corruption was and is, will probably relate to gaining clarity as to how this dual contract system was put in place, maintained, and expressed… clarity that we don’t presently have! However, let’s think through some possibilities…
What does this dual contract system mean in reality?
1) Are these two identical contracts, except one has, you know, a hundred thousand more dollars than the other contract the NRL was shown? If this is the case, did the players actually sign both contracts? If so, they would have been intimately aware of what must have been transpiring, and given what the players were asking, with the club intimately aware of what they could afford, there are questions to be answered.
On the other hand, if they didn’t sign these two identical contracts [if such indeed was the set-up], then there would seem to be serious legal questions that need to be asked as to who signed the contracts that the NRL had validated, and how these signatures were forged?
2) However, if this dual contract system involved additional contracts for other sources of payments to the players, in addition to the other main contracts that the NRL had knowledge of, either the players thought this was kosher, or the players would seem to be, at least, implicated!
3) Was there such an overall deception, that the players knew what they were signing, believed it was all legitimate, and were busy concentrating on Footy!
4) What about the Player Managers, as Ken Laban has affirmed on Facebook, they were all over the Bulldogs salary cap fiasco?!
Maybe this weekend will be a good barometer! If the players have been duped, one can understand if their motivation levels are not where one would expect, as they have been manipulated, used, and take advantage of… which, in this present fullness of time, has only resulted in shame and humiliation! All the years, the success, the hard work, the commitment to the cause, and I am sure, for some, the willingness to give, so others could take… all this, shown to be a sham, affirmed that it was built on sand, a lie, with the players having the joke played most intimately on them, as on their backs, these premierships were won!
Shocking!
Are You Surprised, Shocked, Disappointed, Angry, or All of the Above?
Thinking about this from a Christian worldview, one should not be surprised to see such sad realities! This does not justify this practice, nor validates what has transpired, but it does reflect the biblical view of the human heart [Jer. 17:9], particularly the human heart when it is bent on evil! Therefore, we should be able to be both extremely disappointed with this reality, but not overtly surprised!
Idolatry is the default mode of the human heart, and more often than not, when such arises, it takes place when good things, such as winning premierships, become ultimate things, which one can not live without, the result being that every means will be used to get to that end! Winning this goal became so important that these “persons” were prepared to do whatever it took to keep the players they believed they needed to win on the field. Doing the right thing was circumvented , as it was not the most important motivation, and at such times and on such occasions, a philosophy of pragmatism wins the day, as a “whatever it takes” mantra rules the mind, as long as the job gets done.
Was it Worth the Rort?
Like all sin, what can feel good in the short term, sours over time. Once a mighty Rugby League Club respected around the world, with a distinguished recent history, has admitted that this time, was built on a lie. This lie has not only affected this club, but also every other player who battled through these seasons of deception, and failed where the Storm succeeded, right down to the supporters who don’t get the obvious benefits, everybody loses!
Learn the lesson of the Storm! Live your life for what is truly worth the while, and base your decisions out from this foundation, as this foundation, in Christ, can truly be trusted, as it is built on truth!
If you would like some more details about this matter, where the quotations for this piece were sourced from… Go HERE
Until Next Time
i am jonny king
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