A mystery $300,000 repayment to the Broncos League Club won’t satisfy NRL salary cap auditors, who continue to investigate alleged cash payments made to Brisbane players, Fairfax Media reports.
The source of the $300,000 hasn’t been officially named, though it is believed to have come from former Brisbane Broncos football manager Andrew Gee, who resigned from the Broncos before the salary cap scandal broke in May.
The NRL is investigating out-of-cap payments made to Brisbane players worth $470,000 – money which was allegedly funnelled through the Broncos Leagues Club, according to Fairfax.
The complex probe isn’t expected to be finished until near the end of the season, but if found guilty, the Broncos face harsh penalties. The last club caught rorting the salary cap, Melbourne Storm, was stripped of its 2007 and 2009 premierships and dumped from the finals in 2010.
In on-field news, North Queensland utility Ray Thompson hopes to play a part in a late Cowboys charge into the play-offs. Thompson has endured an injury-plagued 2014, a hamstring strain the latest setback he has had to overcome.
But now he is back at full fitness, Thompson has been named on the bench for Friday night’s clash against Cronulla at Remondis Stadium. The match looms as a vital one for North Queensland, which is 12th on the NRL ladder, two points adrift of the top eight.
Thompson said he couldn’t wait to get on the field and do his bit for the team. “Every time I try to get some form and start to get a bit of confidence, something has come along to hinder me,” he said. “Frustration’s the word. Hopefully I can put that behind me and focus really hard on the last couple of months of the season.”
