Disgraced former Melbourne chief executive Brian Waldron has accused the NRL of double standards in allowing salary cap cheats Parramatta to continue to play for premiership points.
The Eels were on Tuesday docked the 12 premiership points they have accrued so far this season after the NRL found they had exceeded the salary cap by around $570,000.
However the NRL says the Eels can restart their premiership quest as soon as they get their squad under the cap.
Among other severe penalties, Melbourne were unable to play for competition points for the entire 2010 season due to systematic salary cap rorting while Waldron was at the Storm.
Waldron, who was dubbed the `Chief Rat’ for his leading role in the Storm’s scandal, said it was unfair that the Eels didn’t face the same punishment.
“I find it difficult to understand how they (Parramatta) can continue to play for points,” Waldron told SEN radio.
“I think that’s something that’s very difficult … Melbourne people would say that’s quite unjust.”
Melbourne’s punishment was swiftly dealt with and their penalties announced the same day as the findings of the NRL investigation.
Waldron said this still rankled at the Storm.
“Parramatta was given an opportunity to explain itself, which wasn’t afforded to Storm, he said.
“The key difference and why everyone at the Storm felt it was so unfair, is that never took place… there was never an opportunity.
“You’re never going to be able to put your story to the NRL, because the politics of the time made it nigh on impossible to defend yourself.”
However Waldron said that the NRL’s treatment of the Eels was more appropriate than they dealt out to the Storm.
“Perhaps what it says more than anything is that this is the right decision, and the decision to not let the Melbourne Storm play for points in that year (2010) was a disgraceful thing,” Waldron said.
“The whole process was quite absurd.”
Melbourne Storm’s current chief executive Dave Donaghy hasn’t responded to calls from AAP.