Fronting up: NRL chief Todd Greenberg and integrity unit boss Nick Weeks. Credit:Ben Rushton "It was hard to imagine at that point because that was a pretty tough time for those players who had worked so hard to hear devastating news," said Greenberg ahead of the Eels' first finals match since 2009, against Melbourne at AAMI Park on Saturday. "To their credit, particularly Brad Arthur's credit, he didn't kick stones. What he did was put all his attention into making sure they got on with the job. He did that last year too despite having not a lot to play for. It is amazing ... they say rugby league is a long time in rugby league, well 12 months is an eternity." Greenberg spoke to Arthur before addressing the players that morning and then taking questions, not all of them friendly, in an appearance that lasted 45 minutes. "I started it by saying there were two things," he said. "One was I owed it to them to tell them before they heard it in the media. The second one was that the door was shut and we won't leave until you have got every question answered.

"I said if you have some difficult ones, let's get them out there because I want you to know this has been a hard decision for us, too. But sometimes the hard decisions are still the right ones. There were some difficult discussions, there were some players who wanted some answers. It is a huge credit to those players that they didn't kick stones either. It wasn't of their doing. The way they have played this year says something about the club." For the Parramatta players, the penalty against the team – told that their season was effectively over – was shattering, but as captain Tim Mannah looks back he says it was not a great shock. The revelations about the rorting of the cap had been gathering pace for two months and the squad was not preparing to be hit with a feather. "The writing was on the wall for a long time," Mannah said, crediting Greenberg for being "conscious of the playing group". "There had been many whispers and innuendo about what the actual punishment was going to be ... you always knew where there is smoke there is fire. "I still remember there were a couple of questions getting asked. But the boys just copped it. We knew it was going to be rough. It wasn't ideal but I was really proud of the way the boys handled the next few months and got through the season and the way they've bounced back this year."

The character shown on that day and the hard ones that followed are indicative of what Parramatta have been able to do since, according to Greenberg. "When you go through difficult moments like that and adversity, some people react differently," he said. "Brad said to his team that day, 'We will see if we can make the finals this year so let's roll our sleeves up and get on with it, let's not whinge about it'. They did that on the day. "You can imagine what their pre-season was like this year, you can see how they have handled themselves this year. They have become a pretty good footy team. Not many people will think they can win on Saturday afternoon in Melbourne. But I am sure internally, inside the four walls of the Parramatta dressing room there will be a lot of people who think they can win."