League: Warriors could lose points before kick-off

SYDNEY - The New Zealand Warriors face being docked up to six competition points and slugged with a significant fine after rugby league's latest salary cap scandal emerged yesterday, a Sydney newspaper reported today.

After admitting player payment "discrepancies" to the National Rugby League (NRL) The Daily Telegraph reported the Warriors could be the first team in 98 years of premiership history to start the season on less than zero.

The Auckland-based team has been caught in yet another NRL club player-payment scandal since the Bulldogs were denied the minor premiership in 2002.

The Daily Telegraph claimed the discrepancies included offering stars employment when they retired and paying for player agents to fly to and from New Zealand.

Warriors chairman Maurice Kidd indicated he would fight any move to strip the club of points before the season started.

"It's obviously within their powers to do that but we wouldn't be happy with that," Kidd said.

NRL chief executive David Gallop, who applauded the Warriors management for notifying the sport's governing body of potential problems, said it was too early to speculate on a penalty though "all clubs and fans have known competition points are in jeopardy when breaches strike at the heart of the competition's fairness".

The Bulldogs were stripped of 37 points and fined A$500,000 for systematically exceeding the A$3.25 million cap in 2002.

NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert was made aware of a potential problem late last season, when the previous administration led by former chief executive Mick Watson was on the brink of being replaced.

Kidd said the club told the NRL last week that the new regime had found irregularities.

"The chief executive (Wayne Scurrah) called me last Monday and said 'I think we've got a problem'," Kidd said.

"He was preparing for the NRL auditor .... they came across things that looked a bit, uh, unusual."

Wayne Scurrah and the Warriors' director of football, former All Black coach John Hart, met with players yesterday to inform them of the investigation.

Warriors captain Steve Price said pay cuts had not been discussed.

"We were only told about it today and we don't know too much about it," said Price, who went through a similar situation as captain of the Bulldogs in 2003.

"We're going to want to see what is happening before we talk about it.

"It's only just started so to say something now would be stupid because we don't even know what's happening or how big or small this thing is."

Price appeared to be unfazed by suggestions the Warriors could start the season on minus-six premiership points and described team morale as "fine".

"We trained (yesterday) and it wasn't really talked about."

Kiwis captain and veteran prop Ruben Wiki would not discuss the salary cap situation saying "that's for the club management".

Price and Wiki were the two highest profile recruits to the club last season.

The Warriors play the Bulldogs in a trial on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.

This is the second salary cap probe involving New Zealand's NRL representative. In 2001 the Auckland Warriors were fined A$100,000.

When advised of the investigation, Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad said: "If it's a systematic approach to circumvent the salary cap, our fans would expect the NRL to take very stern action."

An NRL spokesman said there was no immediate indication regarding when the investigation would be completed.

The Warriors open the 2006 campaign at home against the Melbourne Storm on March 12.

- NZPA