He wanted to look the players in the eye and level with them.

It explains much about the sickness at the club that directors drunk on power tried to stop the NRL chief executive from fronting coach Brad Arthur and the playing group to deliver the punishment for cheating the salary cap.

Greenberg and integrity unit boss Nick Weeks had met with the board at Parramatta Leagues club at 7.30am.

The news wasn't pretty: the NRL was stripping the Eels of all 12 competition points; giving them 10 days to get back under the cap for 2016 or they would not be playing for any more; fining the club $1 million; and wanting five key figures sacked.

"They are the most poorly managed club in the NRL," Greenberg said later that morning.

Ignoring the order from Eels directors to stay away from the football team, Greenberg and Weeks drove to the Old Saleyards in North Parramatta where the players were busting out a weights session.

Greenberg identified weeks ago that he didn't want to make the same mistake as former NRL chief executive David Gallop, who was heavily criticised for not fronting the Melbourne Storm playing group when they were told they would not be playing for any points during the 2010 season.

He was so conscious that he personally contacted Arthur last week and asked him to arrange a training session for Tuesday morning just so he could front the players.

Again, the news wasn't going to be pretty.

As Greenberg and Weeks explained the NRL's position to the players, laying bare the spider web of lies and deceit from those above them, some players grew angry and started to challenge the suits standing in front of them.

"What a f--ken joke" one player, still steaming about the verdict, texted me later in the day.

That's when Arthur stepped in.

"These men are here to tell us straight what is going on," the coach interjected. "Show them some respect."

"They were shattered," Greenberg said later. "I really felt for the players this morning. Nick and I were desperate to make sure we saw them face to face this morning and they heard this news from us. It would've been much easier to let someone from the club do it or let them read a media release. I wanted them to hear it from us."

Parramatta players and their fans will argue otherwise but the NRL has delivered the perfect penalty for their club and the game.

In ordering chairman Steve Sharp, deputy chairman Tom Issa, director Peter Serrao, chief executive John Boulous and football manager Daniel Anderson to walk away, the Eels club now faces an important moment in time – to finally start again.

In docking the Eels all of their competition points – 12 so far this season – it sends a strong message to the rest of the game that you cannot cheat the salary cap. (Or, at the very least, get smarter in getting around it).

In giving the Eels the option to play for points again if they become salary cap compliant for this season, they give them the slightest of hope.

"Twelve from 15," said a surprisingly optimistic Arthur of the equation his team now faced.

The magic number in the minds of all NRL coaches is 28 – the number of competition points needed to sneak into the top eight.

With four points guaranteed from two byes, Parramatta need 12 wins from their remaining 15 matches – starting with South Sydney at Pirtek Stadium on May 13.

The message from the NRL's findings to all concerned at Parramatta is strong: finally fix your godforsaken club within 10 days and your side – which is actually playing decent footy for the first time in years – still has a shot at the premiership, if ever so slight.

In the space of one morning, Greenberg showed why he is the best man to run the game.

This column has accused him in the past of playing the politician. On Tuesday, he showed why he is a leader.

Weeks revealed that Parramatta had effectively abused the cap by about $3 million since 2013.

The first inclination upon hearing this was to think of the Storm.

They were found guilty of breaching the cap by $3.78 million over five years. Not only did Melbourne have their premierships taken from them but played out the rest of the 2010 season for no competition points.

In comparison, then, the Eels appear to be getting off lightly. They still have a glimmer of hope.

Questioned about the inconsistency at a packed media conference at League Central at lunchtime on Tuesday, Greenberg held firm.

"I didn't make the decision on the Melbourne Storm but I am making it today," Greenberg said. "The decision we've made gives an eye to the future and gives hope for the club. When I watched Melbourne Storm fans and players continue to play without the ability to accrue points, I thought that was soul destroying for the players and the fans. I've tried very hard to find a way forward here so they can take a step forward."

To step forward, Parramatta need to stop being haunted by the past, and the past was well represented as Greenberg said these words.

Because there, at the back of the room behind the bank of television cameras, stood Denis Fitzgerald, the chief executive at Parramatta for more than 30 years … until seven years ago when he was rolled at board elections by Roy Spagnolo … before he was rolled by Steve Sharp.

Greenberg declared "this is the sad day nobody wanted to see" but you could tell by the grin on the face of the man who calls himself "The Emperor" that he had been waiting a long time for this day.

"There's no doubt this is the day I wanted to see," Fitzgerald said. "It had to come to a head. Since 2013, there has been $3 million in undeclared third-party payments that were backed by the Leagues club. Where does that leave the Leagues club? I would like to think the NSW government and police department will come in and investigate the possibility of fraud and more serious charges."

At Monday night's explosive annual general meeting, Eels director Tanya Gadiel accused Fitzgerald of leaking information about Parramatta to media outlets.

On Tuesday, I asked Fitzgerald if his self-interest was preventing the club from healing itself.

"I care for the club!" he insisted. "I wasn't happy seven years ago when a new group came in and said goodbye to me. However, I would've been quite pleased if the new people who came in knew what they were doing and were doing things in the best interests of the club. That hasn't been the case for seven years. They had overspent and won two wooden spoons. We never claimed a wooden spoon in my time at the club."

The Emperor then held a doorstop media conference in the foyer … before he was kicked outside.

Parramatta need to leave the recent past behind and start focusing on their future. But there are some glory years worth remembering.

In the car on the way to Parramatta on Tuesday morning, Greenberg phoned Peter Sterling and Mick Cronin, two greats from the 1980s when Parramatta was the greatest club in the world.

He told them how he planned to fix their club. He might need their help.