Parramatta Eels salary cap crisis: Corey Norman allegedly given cash payments in car park

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Explosive new documents allege Brisbane recruiter Peter Nolan gave star playmaker Corey Norman cash payments at Top Ryde car park during his time at Parramatta as part of the club's rorting of the salary cap.

Fairfax Media has obtained a sworn statement by former Eels chief executive Scott Seward and the transcripts from the interview the NRL integrity unit conducted with former football manager Jason Irvine. The accounts detail the illegal payments dished out to Parramatta players, including the third party and cash variety, that were guaranteed by the club in contravention to NRL rules.

Former Eels chief executive Scott Seward.

The Seward and Irvine accounts outline how they worked together to fulfil a series of undisclosed payments promised to players before their appointments. Both officials admit to paying players in cash, in Seward's case from merchandise takings to hooker Nathan Peats.

But the biggest twist in the saga is the alleged involvement of Nolan, considered one of the best talent spotters in the game. Seward and Irvine describe Nolan – who discovered Semi Radradra at a rugby Sevens tournament – as one of the administrators fully aware of a secret payments scheme designed to circumvent the salary cap.

In his signed statement, Seward writes: "Corey Norman was promised additional payments of $36,000 which was to cover rental payments of approximately $3000 per month.

Explosive new documents allege Brisbane recruiter Peter Nolan (pictured) gave star playmaker Corey Norman cash payments at Top Ryde car park during his time at Parramatta as part of the club's rorting of the salary cap. Photo: Steve Lunam

"I recall Nolan telling me that the payments of $3000 per month were for Norman's rent. On one occasion I recall Nolan telling me that he handed Norman a cash payment in the car park at Top Ryde. I recall Nolan saying words to the effect: 

"Nolan: That's what this is for. I handed money over to Corey Norman in the Car Park at Top Ryde. I remember saying to him [Norman] 'mate, did you ever think it we'd get here and have to do this?'"

Nolan, who has a relationship with Norman from their time at the Broncos, has not received a breach notice from the NRL. Nolan has declined to comment.

Corey Norman is alleged to have taken cash payments at Top Ryde car park. Photo: Cameron Spencer

"The NRL received substantial information during its investigation and made its determination based on the weight of evidence available," an NRL spokesperson said.

The club had made a register of promised player payments in 2013 that was not disclosed to the governing body. In his statement, Seward says: "It was clear to me that it was Nolan who was the person who was involved in doing the deals and knew every level of the deals reached with players and their agents."

Irvine and Seward say they were approached by players or their managers demanding money that was promised on top of their registered contracts. When asked which administrators knew about the illegally promised funds in his interview with the NRL, Irvine said: "[Nolan] was there when we did the breakdown of how much was owing."

Nathan Peats is alleged to have received $6000 in cash. Photo: Chris Hyde

Irvine admitted he was the bagman in transactions such as alleged payments from Leba Zibara of Zibara Clothing, which he said he gave to Seward to pass on to players. When asked if he handed cash directly to players himself, Irvine said: "No, no. The only player I've ever given money to was Nathan Peats. It was diabolical … Nathan is so direct and so blunt. He was pretty much like, 'Mate, I'm not playing footy no more.' So you know, I got about six grand off, I think, off Scott early last year and then sort of gave him that to sort of settle him down, or I think it was actually late, late in, in '14."

Asked where the money came from, Irvine said: "... it'd come from the shop. It would come from the merchandise store."

Seward, who said he and Irvine inflated invoices, admitted to paying Peats in cash.

"I recall on one occasion, in about June or July 2014, Zibara came into my office and gave me an amount of cash," Seward says in his statement.

"My best recollection was that it was approximately $5000. I then added a further cash amount of, to the best of my recollection, $1000 (from cash receipts from merchandise sold) and handed the total of $6000 to Nathan Peats.

"This was the only occasion on which I physically handed cash to a player."

Fairfax Media contacted Peats, who said: "I don't know what you're talking about, I don't want to be involved in that." Zibara said he had previously made a statement to the media about his relationship with the Eels and did not want to add to it.

Seward adds that Irvine was one of the officials responsible for handing money to player managers. Seward, who declined to comment when contacted by Fairfax Media, also admits to signing statutory declarations knowing the information contained within them was false.

"At the time I signed the post 2014 season statutory declaration, I certainly knew about the additional undisclosed payments that the club was making to players and player agents and of the TPAs that were promised to players," Seward says in his statement.

"I did not want to sign it, the CFO signed it, the chairman signed but I sat on it for days. However, I ultimately did sign the post 2014 season statutory declaration.

"I also signed the pre-2015 season statutory declaration. I was aware of the additional undisclosed amounts being sourced from TPAs but knew that the club had stopped making additional cash payments. While I had some reservations about signing I ultimately signed the pre-2015 season statutory declaration."

By the NRL's calculations, the Eels had promised illegal player payments totalling more than $3 million since 2013. The transactions came via third-party arrangements, cash payments and inflated and fictitious invoices.

The club and those believed to be responsible are now being investigated by the Fraud and Cyber Squad at the NSW Police Force and the Australian Tax Office, while Liquor and Gaming NSW is investigating whether the Parramatta Leagues Club breached the Registered Clubs Act.

On Saturday, the NRL confirmed its provisional sanctions, which include a $1 million fine, the stripping of 12 competition points and the cancellation of registrations of five key officials.

Contacted on Saturday night, Norman said: "They've handed our 12 points [penalty] out, that's it."

"That's the end of the story … they have handed our sentence down and we've got to build on that.

"All I can tell you is we're just working every week to put pride in that jersey and put pride in our fans.

"Whatever story you want to come up with, we're just going to roll on through and have the belief of what we want to do in our system."

Attempts to contact the club were unsuccessful.