The NRL will this week start investigations into the latest salary cap allegations against Parramatta, with salary cap auditors set to ask Eels officials to hand over any records relating to murky third-party agreements with players.
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Of particular interest is $52,000 paid to Jarryd Hayne in two instalments and it is anticipated the Eels will be advised that those payments should be included in the salary cap, despite the superstar fullback having been released at the end of last season to pursue a career in NFL.
NRL head of integrity Nick Weeks announced on Friday that an investigation would be launched into Parramatta's salary cap after Fairfax Media revealed the payments to Hayne and the involvement of Eddie Obeid Jnr, the son of disgraced former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid, in providing financial assistance, discounted property deals and extra payments to players.
Parramatta chairman Steve Sharp has blamed the problems on the previous administration under the control of Roy Spagnolo and promised to open the club's books to the NRL.
However, Sharp and senior officials are in North Queensland for Monday night's match against the Cowboys at 1300Smiles Stadium.
Eels coach Brad Arthur was quizzed by media in Townsville on Sunday about the impact of the investigation, which follows other significant salary cap breaches that earlier this year cost the club $465,000 in fines from the NRL and a warning that they would start next season on minus four competition points if the clubs did not undertake an independent governance review and implement the recommendations by February.
"We do a reasonable job of trying to shield them from any of the outside influences and the players are only focused on what they can control, which is the attitude they take on the field," Arthur said. "We have had plenty of distractions all year but we have managed to put them aside and there is only one thing that is on the players' mind and that is how they perform."
Asked if the NRL should take over the running of Parramatta, Arthur said: "That is for the club to worry about, we are here for a job and that is to perform tomorrow night."
He also dismissed questions about the possibility of the Eels starting next season on minus competitions points, saying: "That's next year, we are concerned about tomorrow night, that is our only focus at the moment and that is all we can control".
