League: Plea to NRL: Don't take points off us

The breaches occurred during the Mick Watson era at the Warriors. Michael Bradley / Getty Images

The New Zealand Rugby League has entered the Warriors salary cap row, pleading with the NRL not to deduct any points from their 2006 campaign for the sake of the game in this country.

Dark clouds continued to gather yesterday with Warriors chairman Maurice Kidd confirming there were breaches of the A$3.25m cap in the past year or so.

"It's just a matter of the level," he told the Herald.

The NRL may take up to six points off the Warriors, who would be the first club in history to start below zero.

It would be a blow to league in a country where interest centres on one club.

A disconsolate NZRL chairman Sel Pearson even said: "They might as well default. Why get knocked around."

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary said he was not told of potential problems when he signed for the job last September, before Wayne Scurrah had taken his place as the new chief executive and while general manager Spiro Tsiros was acting CEO.

"I'm disappointed because this is not something you want to go through but we've got a resilient group," said Cleary from the Gold Coast, where the Warriors will play a trial against the Bulldogs.

Player Tony Martin said: "It's tough enough to make the top eight without that happening."

An investigation is continuing, after irregularities were uncovered during a pre-season audit last week, although reports also suggest concerns first surfaced late last year.

The claims include that captain Steve Price was offered a job at the end of his career, in contravention of the rules.

Speculation puts the breach at more than $500,000, well outside the category of error.

The impending disaster again raised issues surrounding former chief executive Mick Watson, who quit last August. Australian Watson, who still lives in Auckland, could not be contacted yesterday.

NRL chief David Gallop said the Warriors had until Friday to respond to preliminary findings.

Gallop refused to respond to speculation the Auckland-based club could be docked points and hit with a six figure fine.

He hoped the matter would be dealt with before the competition starts on March 10.

"We don't have plans to speak to the old management," he told AAP.

The breaches occurred during the Mick Watson era, and insiders have long painted a picture of a domineering man who felt invincible after turning an erratic club into top eight material, including grand finalists in 2002.

Initial success encouraged others to drop their guard.

Kidd refused to blame any individual for the problems, and there will inevitably be questions about his leadership and even the owners including high profile businessman Eric Watson, who lives in England.

Kidd still hopes the club will not have points docked.

"I was really pissed off when I found out ... everyone is annoyed," Kidd said.

"The new regime is putting their heart and soul into the club and this makes it much harder. It feels like a kick in the guts."

Sources in the NZRL, which holds a 10 per cent stake, say there were few, if any, board meetings while Mick Watson ruled.

Pearson admitted to the Herald that, as a director for "three or four years", he had never attended a board meeting.

For 18 months, after the resignation of NZRL board member Bill McEntee, the NZRL didn't bother nominating a representative.

"There weren't any invites to meetings ... the meetings were so bloody meaningless anyway.

"But I was a naughty boy [not nominating a board member]. I was perhaps apathetic towards it," Pearson said.

Players Ruben Wiki, Price, Todd Byrne and Awen Guttenbeil gave standard "we'll let the front office deal with it" replies when approached. Guttenbeil praised the club for keeping them well informed.

Any loss of points, a demoralising handicap, would present a huge challenge to new coaches Cleary and John Ackland. Gate takings would also be hit.

It is also bad news for Warriors' backers at the TAB, which suspended betting on them but will not give refunds.

TAB bookie Vaughan Clark said: "We can't be responsible for all the little unfortunate events that happen."

One punter placed $2000, at even money, on them to make the top eight.

An Australian punter may have had an inkling of the crisis however, placing a $1750 wooden spoon bet on Friday.

Pearson said the prospect of losing points was "diabolical" but admitted: "Docking points hits poor people and rich people and fines don't.

"But I've got my Warriors hat on here - hit any other club but not us.

"How can you make it retrospective?

"How could anyone take the game seriously. Take off the points from last year and send us the wooden spoon."

Pearson will tell Gallop: "You've got 14 teams there and if one is a bit naughty there are 13 other teams for kids to focus on.

"We've only got one club and they are our flagship."

Cap storm

Salary cap: A$3.25m
Breach: Rumoured to be more than $500,000
Speculation that the Warriors will be docked 6 competition points and heavily fined
TAB suspends betting on the Warriors