Earlier today, Parramatta Eels Members received this message from Chairman, Steve Sharp:
Apart from our terrific wins against the Cowboys last weekend and at the Auckland 9s in February, the Parramatta Eels have again been in the news for the wrong reasons.
I assure our fans that the Board and senior management are investigating these claims of salary cap breaches and are committed to assisting the NRL.
We resolved to do this in urgent Board meetings held on Friday and over the weekend.
The Board discussed the process we needed to follow to get to the truth. We talked about the importance of getting this right, and of separating fact from fiction.
That’s why no stone will be unturned as we work through the various media reports from last week.
What’s different about the Eels these days is that we have better processes in place and an utter determination to improve our head office.
We are also completely overhauling the way the club is run. This takes time but we are making strong progress.
We have done this with the assistance of PricewaterhouseCoopers, which made 117 recommendations for how we should reform the culture of the club.
All 52 mandatory recommendations have already been implemented under the plan agreed to with the NRL. The additional recommendations are also on track and will ensure the club is reformed.
The latest allegations are serious and these reports are very difficult for our fans and Members.
And they are also unwelcome, since we are at a time when our future is brighter than it has been for some time.
In response, the Board’s plan is simple. We will investigate these allegations, work with the NRL and continue to reform our club.
It’s what our Members and fans expect and deserve.
Steve Sharp
Parramatta Eels Chairman
