Sport

NRL release report on Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal

18:40 pm on 11 May 2011

The National Rugby League report into the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal recommends the club's former chief executive, Brian Waldron, never be allowed to work in the sport again.

Waldron, his deputy Matt Hanson and two unnamed Storm financial executives should all be barred says the report.

It describes a toxic culture of deceit which saw rorting the league's salary cap as a bit of a game.

Waldron, Hanson and former chairman Rob Moodie, all knowingly signed false statutory declarations, the report says.

It says unnamed sponsors were complicit in paying extra money to players.

The NRL chief executive David Gallop says his organisation is vindicated with the findings now in the public arena.

The Storm were stripped of two premierships, prizemoney and fined over $500,000 as a result of the scandal.

The release of the report came the same day it was announced the Wests Tigers are facing a hefty $187,000 fine for a salary cap breach.

Audits of the 2010 season show the Tigers breached the cap by claiming a long-serving player allowance, a claim denied by Tigers officials.

Gold Coast, St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Canberra were also fined smaller amounts for breaches.