Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)

Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)
Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Hot, Hot Water


Massive news in footy yesterday, as the Melbourne Storm were discovered to have been cheating for the past few years, having two sets of books in order to exceed the salary cap. Two premierships stripped, a big fine, and disqualification from this year's premiership. Big stuff.

Having now read a few different articles about it, what seems odd to me is how little the players have come in to question here. Surely these big-name players would have known what they were involved in. How could you not know that you were being paid twice?

There has been speculation of these players 'not staying' at the club, as though they would walk, because they'd get paid significantly less. But is that not beside the point? Should they not instead be fired from the club, big-name and high-profile or not?

3 comments:

Wendy said...

He's probably also assuming they can add up. They may not have been paid twice, either.

Laetitia :-) said...

As a contractor, I am not allowed by my contract to discuss how much I am paid with my work colleagues (or most other people either for that matter). It's highly possible that such a confidentiality clause is written into the contracts of the players. As far as they are concerned, they're being paid X but they don't know how much their team mate beside them is being paid.

Then there's the fact that a team can be made of a few high profile players (who would be expected to be paid a fair bit) along with a stack of other players paid well less. Since the salary cap is an aggregate of all players' salaries, high profile player A probably assumes that there's himself and a few other well paid players and everyone else is paid relative pittance.

Amy said...

Surely there'd be tax implications too - if you are paid one thing 'on paper'...

The ATO is probably less forgiving of players than the rest of us...