I was no fan of the EAs long before the cheating but I’d be surprised if they were doing it again, not least because they don’t really need to to attract players.
Players want more than just a salary, they want honours and to be part of a winning environment. The EAs can say to players they want to sign something along the lines off sorry, we can only offer you [10%] less than [mid table mediocre club that’s not going to be regular winners], whereas we offer play-offs and European rugby every season with a good chance of medals.
The question is, how much is that winning worth? The lower the salary cap the more it’s worth as players reckon they might as well get some glory if they aren’t going to make a small fortune playing.
EAs cheating has baked in their supremacy for a long time, and that’s why their punishment should have been harsher.