COURT action between the Melbourne Storm and the NRL over salary cap breach penalties could be heard as early as July.
Lawyers for the Storm's independent directors and the NRL appeared in the Victorian Supreme Court for a directions hearing this morning.
The Storm is arguing penalties imposed by the NRL for salary cap breaches, which included the loss of two premierships, were imposed unlawfully.
The NRL's lawyer Tony Meagher SC, told the court the Storm agreed to meet with them in April and conceded there had been salary cap breaches and then agreed to the penalties being imposed.
Mr Meagher asked that Valimanda, a Storm parent company, be involved in the proceedings.
Valimanda is owned by News Limited, publisher of The Australian.
The matter will return to court for a case conference in June.
The court heard any trial over the matter could take place in July or August.
Outside court, NRL solicitor Tony O'Reilly said the organisation would issue a claim to have Valimanda become part of the proceedings.
"What we are doing is Valimanda is one of the two entities that comprise the Melbourne Storm club, they were part of the decision therefore they should be part of the court proceedings,'' he said.
"We have no argument with them. The whole Melbourne Storm club was part of the decision.
"The NRL's decision was imposed on the club as a whole which comprises the two entities, therefore they should be part of the court process, so that everybody is bound.
"They agreed to the process that went on so the NRL obviously believes that they should be here as well.''
O'Reilly believes the case can be resolved before the finals series.
"We would be pretty confident we would be able to get it done in July and that will get it all over a long time before the semi-finals and it will be all sorted out a couple of months ahead,'' he said.
