Wests Tigers have submitted their response to breach notices issued by the NRL just before Christmas as they look to downgrade the punishment they face.
Todd Greenberg, NRL Chief Executive, hit the club with a A$750,000fine and a salary cap reduction of A$639,000 in 2019 for failing to declare a post-career arrangement with Robbie Farah when he left the club in 2016.
NRL.com believes the Tigers are accepting responsibility for mismanagement but believe the punishment is too heavy-handed given they believe they gained no competitive advantage from the deal that Farah is yet to even decide to take up.
“We do not accept the allegations outlined in the breach notice,” said Wests’ statement in December.
“We reject that the club has breached the NRL rules or that our conduct warrants the sanctions proposed. The breach notice relates to events that occurred some time ago, in relation to an ambassador role for Robbie post-retirement.
“The arrangement was entered into years after his playing contract had been signed and had nothing to do with Robbie’s playing commitments. The club derived no competitive advantage from the arrangement.”