Former Parramatta Eels chief executive Scott Seward approached NRL CEO Todd Greenberg for advice on third-party agreements, recordings from a Parramatta board meeting in 2013 reveal.
Fairfax Media has obtained the transcript provided in the breach notice the NRL handed to Parramatta on Tuesday which mentioned Greenberg, however the NRL boss has denied providing any advice that contravened NRL rules in regards to third-party payments.
The transcript also identifies plans from football manager Daniel Anderson, in which he talks about lowering player salaries and replacing them with third-party agreements as to clear space in the salary cap.
Fairfax Media can also reveal Seward contacted Greenberg last month, asking for advice on whether he should agree to be interviewed by the NRL to assist their salary cap investigation into Parramatta.
Seward, who is a close friend of Greenberg from their time together at the Bulldogs, admitted in the December, 2013 board meeting to have sought feedback from Greenberg about the way Canterbury handled third-party agreements during his tenure as club chief executive.
Eels club officials discussed the need to implement third-party agreements at the January board meeting, with Seward referencing his conversation with the now NRL boss, who was listed as Seward's referee when he applied for his job at Parramatta.
"We do need, and what we'll do, is we'll actually sit down and go through TPAs as a whole," Seward said in the meeting.
"There's a few different options. I've spoken to Greenberg about the way that Canterbury, and the best options. I've spoken to [Wayne] Beavis to tell us how f--ked we are, um, and the like.
"But it is a case of sitting down and working out the best way we can do it. Because right now we are batting this game with one arm tied behind our back. The Roosters have probably got $1.5 million in TPA, and that's fair, that's the game. That's the way it is."
A spokesman for the NRL said any advice Greenberg provided to Seward on third-party agreements was in accordance with the rules.
There was great conjecture last month when Seward met with the NRL to give his version of events, with Parramatta asked to waive a non-disclosure agreement to allow their former CEO to testify against the club.
Seward was torn about whether he should tip the bucket on his former colleagues and went to Greenberg for advice.
An NRL spokesman confirmed the exchange, saying: "Mr Greenberg advised Mr Seward by text to have an open and honest discussion with the head of the integrity unit, Nick Weeks, and to provide any evidence he had."
The Eels were desperate to save money on their salary cap and devised a plan, which was in breach of the NRL's rules, to reduce the salary of certain players and replace them with third party agreements.
Such a ploy would free space on the salary cap, however the NRL picked up on the conversation during their thorough investigation.
"Yeah we can make the contract variation, cause we've got until March 1," Anderson said in the meeting.
"So we can find one in February, make a contract variation to a player's contract, take it off their salary, give it to them in a TPA, and the salary cap value comes down."
