NRL hires technical experts to check club computers in war on salary cap cheats
Josh Massoud EXCLUSIVE
The Daily Telegraph
December 22, 201212:00AM
BIG Brother is now watching over the salary cap, with the NRL hiring technical experts to download correspondence from club computers in a bid to catch out cheats.
News Limited has learned Manly were the first club targeted under the new surveillance scheme, which has triggered privacy concerns about how any sensitive findings will be used.
Acting on behalf of the NRL, consultants from an IT firm visited Sea Eagles HQ in the past week to conduct the ground-breaking electronic audit. It's understood material was taken from the club's main computer and personal laptops belonging to staff involved in contract negotiations.
The NRL used similar means in 2010 to uncover the full extent of Melbourne Storm's salary cap rort.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, club bosses were last night unaware of salary cap auditor Ian Schubert going to such lengths since then.
Schubert conducts his annual salary cap audit of all 16 clubs each November.
But until now his investigations have been limited to a review of paperwork, such as hard copy contracts and marquee player deals.
Reviewing e-mail threads between coaches, recruitment officers and player agents gives Schubert enormous scope to discern exactly how the deals are constructed. And in accordance with the new participation agreements each club signed at the start of this year, he has been given the right to do so.
Manly boss David Perry last night said the club had no problems co-operating with the new audit and League Central has rejected suggestions the Sea Eagles are under any suspicion.
It's believed the remaining clubs will fall under similar scrutiny in the new year, with the high-tech review introduced to compliment Schubert's traditional audit.
"We use external parties in varying capacities to assist the salary cap team from time to time as we ensure that we are taking all necessary steps to effectively monitor the cap," an NRL spokesman said.
"This is a small part of the proactive approach to ensuring that all clubs and all fans can continue to have confidence that clubs are complying with the cap and competing fairly in what is Australian sport's closest competition. Manly has been very helpful in helping us to develop some new opportunities in this area."
But when told of the new measures, rival club bosses were taken aback. "What is this? The Gestapo?" said one. "We had no idea they can do something like this. We'd like to know exactly how the information can be used before they go any further."
The NRL said its consultants would handle all information pursuant to its privacy policy and other relevant laws.
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