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Storm CEO was the 'chief rat'

News Limited chief executive John Hartigan has slammed the formerMelbourne Storm CEO Brian Waldron as the 'chief rat' of the NRL club'ssalary cap rorting.

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Source: AAP


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News Limited chief executive John Hartigan has slammed the former Melbourne Storm CEO Brian Waldron as the 'chief rat' of the NRL club's salary cap rorting.

Hartigan was in Melbourne today to address the Storm players and staff in the wake of the scandal which has rocked the News Limited-owned club and the competition as a whole.

Waldron broke his silence on the salary cap scandal late yesterday, claiming he'd had discussions with NRL boss David Gallop several years ago about an amnesty to allow the many clubs he believed were abusing the salary cap to come forward.

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Waldron also said he was prepared to tell News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch the exact nature of the company's $66 million investment in the Storm dating back to its entry into the NRL in 1998.

But Hartigan said Waldron should reveal what he knows to the police and said again that News Limited did not know what the Storm were up to.

Meanwhile Storm prop Brett White will miss the Storm's clash with North Queensland on Saturday after submitting early guilty pleas to two NRL charges and copping a one-match ban.

White was put on report for striking Warriors captain Michael Luck during the Storm's emotion-charged 40-6 win at Etithad Stadium on Sunday.

The NSW Origin front rower also pleaded guilty to making dangerous contact with the head and neck of Warriors prop Russell Packer.

Gold Coast forward Anthony Laffranchi has been charged with making a high tackle on Manly's Matt Ballin during the Titans' 24-22 win last night but can escape suspension with an early guilty plea.

Earlier NRL players union boss David Garnsey said Melbourne's stars had given up enough without also surrendering their privacy to salary cap investigators.

Garnsey says he has no reason to suspect the Storm's players knew their payments were rorting the cap and they should not be asked to make highly personal records available.

The CEO of the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) will meet NRL boss David Gallop on Tuesday before flying to Melbourne later in the week to hold talks with Storm players.

He and RLPA general manager Jamie Barrington attended Sunday night's 40-6 annihilation of the Warriors at Etihad Stadium before speaking informally with players at the post-match function.

Garnsey said the outcomes he was seeking would depend on what the players wanted.

"I've got a sense of things they might consider to be more important than others but it's not for me to be talking about those at the moment," Garnsey told AAP.


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