NRL side Gold Coast Titans have been fined a staggering $300,000 – and slapped with a suspended penalty of four competition points being deducted – after a salary cap breach concerning one of their former players.
The NRL integrity unit, which conducted the investigation into the breach, found that the Titans were paying former half-back Scott Prince “substantially” more than a contract that was initially lodged with the NRL.
$75,000 of the fine – as well as the four competition points – have been suspended due to them reporting the incident to the NRL themselves, but the penalties will be applied if the Titans breach the cap again within the next two years. A statement made by the NRL revealed that the previous management at the Titans never disclosed the difference in Prince’s pay, and it was only the new management that informed the NRL of the breach.
“This difference in remuneration was never disclosed by the previous Titans administration or Mr Prince and was only unearthed by the new management,” the statement said.
Elsewhere, four other NRL clubs have also been slapped with fines due to cap breaches – although these were reported by Australian media as “less serious” cap breaches.
Manly Sea Eagles, Newcastle Knights, Sydney Roosters and the Wests Tigers are the four clubs in question, with the cumulative fines totaling over $90,000 for breaches made last year, in 2013.
Manly were hit with a $6000 fine for an overspend breach, the Knights $35,519 for the same offence, the Roosters were fined to the tune $40,000, with $20,000 suspended for two years, with the penalty due to “a lack of substantive notes of negotiation.”
The Tigers were fined $9326 for an overspend on the National Youth Competition.
A different investigation however, concluded that there were no salary cap breaches at another NRL side, Brisbane Broncos.
