Up to 10 player managers, representing most of rugby league's elite players, face possible criminal prosecution and NRL de-registration, following a joint NSW Police/Integrity Unit investigation into the Parramatta salary cap breaches.
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Four prominent player managers – Wayne Beavis, Sam Ayoub, George Mimis and Paul Sutton – have already been served with police warrants during a State Crime Command's Strike Force Rhodium operation on Thursday, when their premises were raided and information taken away.
It has been speculated six agents were on the NRL hit list but Fairfax Media understands RL Central is scrutinising the role of up to 10 player managers, representing a significant proportion of the game's players and, potentially, athletes from other sports.
NSW Police recently announced two very significant and high-profile investigations into rugby league – player managers and match fixing – with a third, serious fiduciary breaches by Parramatta officials, continuing. The resources police dedicated to Thursday's raid on the offices and premises of the four player managers indicate the seriousness they attach to the three enquiries.
If it all comes to nought, it will be an embarrassing backdown by a police force with multiple demands on its resources.
On the other hand, there is a strong chance of criminal prosecution against the five Parramatta officials already de-registered by the NRL, following exposure of multiple salary cap breaches, together with action against serving officials. Prosecution of player managers would follow.
If it is established that a significant number of agents have breached their obligations under the existing Player Management Accreditation code, it can be assumed the Rugby League Players Association and the NRL will combine to push through a new scheme for agents.
It is expected this will be fiercely opposed by a number of long-standing player managers who have already hinted at retaliation by exposing alleged salary cap breaches committed by former club chief executives.
However, the Herald understands NRL Integrity chief Nick Weeks has been given unfettered powers to investigate all player managers and his independence was demonstrated in Thursday's police raid when he was the only NRL official to be briefed ahead of the sting.
The NRL has less control over agents, compared to players and club officials, including reduced access to documents and records.
The NRL is not responsible for monitoring or enforcing agents' rules. This is the duty of a Player Manager Accreditation committee, headed by Paul Massey.
Ultimately, it is this committee that will decide if disciplinary measures will be taken against one or more agents, but it will be the NRL that provides the evidence to lay the charges and impose the penalties.
Hence the co-operation between the NRL and the NSW Police for Weeks to provide a brief to Massey, which will withstand legal challenge.
While rugby league's senior agents will have the credibility and support of their clients to oppose heightened regulation of their activities, it will be lost if it is proven they have breached the rules.
It is possible some leading players may already have decided to sever their management agreements.
The existing agent accreditation scheme has not been changed since revelations of the 2010 Melbourne Storm salary cap breaches when a small number of player managers – Isaac Moses, David Riolo, Allan Gainey and Mimis – were sanctioned.
Gainey was cautioned but the other three were banned for only six months, while Storm players were stripped of two major premierships, required to play for no points and many forced to leave the club.
There is residual anger in Melbourne over the slap-on-the-wrist penalties to the agents, compared to the sledgehammer blow to the club and its players.
Conspiracy theories about agents, Parramatta and the NRL have been swirling for months with one being that Beavis was targeted as the sacrificial lamb, given his age and his reduced management list. It was speculated this was aborted when Beavis agreed to land star client, Jarryd Hayne with the Gold Coast Titans, a club the NRL controls and seeks to make competitive in the Gold Coast marketplace.
Beavis rejects this scenario as lunacy, adding: "I had no dealings whatsoever with the NRL over Jarryd going to the Titans."
NRL action against the player managers is not imminent. In the same way the NRL took time to assemble a case against the Parramatta officials that successfully withstood legal challenge, the Integrity Unit will not be rushed, aware there will inevitably be lawyers and litigation.
