'Cheating that year': Bombshell claims about Cronulla's premiership

Cronulla’s 2016 premiership has been called into question, with bombshell new claims about the extent of their salary cap scandal.

The Sharks were recently fined $1.25 million ($500,000 of which was suspended) and hit with a $707,000 salary cap penalty over indiscretions dating back to 2013.

The NRL has maintained that the club was salary cap compliant when they won the premiership in 2016.

But according to NRL 360 host Paul Kent, that’s not entirely accurate.

Kent has made the bombshell allegation that the Sharks were under the cap on the day of the grand final, but not during the season.

“They did cheat the year they won the premiership,” Kent said.

“The NRL were very deliberate in their phrasing when asked several times last week in off-the-record conversations, when they had an off-the-record media briefing, and then publicly later when they stipulated that when Cronulla won the competition they were under the salary cap on the day.

“But they were under the cap because of this. They were cheating, and those undisclosed monetary amounts were not enough, given they were already paying unders for everyone at the club, to get them over the cap.

“But they were systematically cheating that year.

“It stepped up a gear in 2017, the year after the premiership. That’s when they formed a separate company with the sole intention of manufacturing third-party sponsorships for the club.”

Kent also said the fines handed down to Cronulla didn’t match the severity of previous salary cap punishments.

“It’s more systematic than other clubs who have copped harsher penalties,” he said.

CEO falls on his sword

The huge claims come after Cronulla chief executive Barry Russell quit the role on Tuesday.

Russell had been the subject of persistent speculation that he will stand down after seeing the Sharks through the NRL investigation into their salary cap irregularities.

The CEO self-reported the club’s salary cap breaches to the NRL, which ultimately led to the huge fines and forced the exit of coach Shane Flanagan.

“As you are aware, there have been several challenges we have had to face and resolve, particularly concerning integrity, governance, finances, personnel and structural change within the business,” Russell said in a statement.

“When I made the decision to self-report a salary cap discrepancy last year with the full approval of the board, I most certainly did not foresee all the issues that were to follow.

“I’m proud that I’ve been able to clean this mess up and give the club every chance of success.”

Russell had only taken on the role from Lyall Gorman in early February last year.

with AAP