Chairman of the Australian Rugby League Peter V’Landys is setting his sights on the integrity of player agents, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
After signing off a collective bargaining agreement with the Rugby League Players’ Association, V’Landys has reaffirmed his stance to look at the league’s Player Agent Scheme.
“Integrity is not negotiable and it’s got to be at the highest possible standard,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.
“It’s not (where I want it to be)… No one will tell you it is because it’s not.”
The NRL has faced integrity issues with player agents over the past few years.
In 2017, agent Isaac Moses was found guilty of assisting client Tim Mannah to give evidence to the NRL’s integrity unit that was later proven to be false.
In June 2020, his accreditation was cancelled and in December, the decision was upheld by the NRL Appeals Committee.
@NRL @FOXNRL If this guy Isaac Moses has 50 players on his books and say 2 or 3 of them want to play for same club; how can he not have a conflict of interest as a player agent? https://t.co/1yFzpDB9Uh
— Sharon McKay🌼 (@WingedCharm) December 8, 2020
Former League player Elijah Taylor was conned out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by his former manager Ian Miles which eventually resulted in Taylor being awarded over $450,000 in damages and costs.
V’Landys will speak to the Players’ Association as well as multiple player agents and club executives over the next few weeks to address the issues.
“For me… Integrity is paramount, and that the rules are completely adhered to, and that some of the issues the fans are raising are addressed.”
Absolutely disgraceful.
The @RLPlayers should look at starting an in-house player financial arm and management agency to counter all of these scumbag agents and leeches preying on the vulnerable young men.— Jaco (@Jaco_1979) December 28, 2020
