League: Warriors expect quick call on points penalty

The Warriors expect to know today whether the National Rugby League will give them back competition points they were docked for salary cap breaches.

The Warriors sent their submissions to the NRL on Tuesday and club chief executive Wayne Scurrah said he expected a decision before the start of the new season this weekend.

"We expect it to be wrapped up pretty quickly," he said. "They want to focus on the launch of the NRL season and so do we."

The opening round begins tomorrow night with the Wests Tigers starting their title defence against St George Illawarra. The Warriors' first match is at home against Melbourne on Sunday.

Scurrah also said that, barring any surprises in the NRL's decision, the club would not be making any appeal if their submissions were rejected.

The NRL last week fined the Warriors A$430,000 ($490,000) and stripped them of four points because of salary cap breaches in 2004 and 2005.

The Warriors have accepted the fine, but have argued that the points penalty is unfair because they will be under the cap for this season.

Scurrah would not say how confident the club was of getting the NRL to change its mind.

"We'll leave it up to them to see if there's anything that merits a review based on what we've submitted."

Scurrah said the Warriors were finalising their options for getting under the cap before the start of the season, "but certainly we can achieve that by Sunday".

As to whether some off-contract players might have to be shed at the end of the year, he said it would be "business as usual" in terms of the playing staff.

"We will be negotiating with all players who play well and want to stay with the club," he said.

One player whose future appears to be up in the air is prop Richard Villasanti, who is into his sixth season at the club.

Villasanti was a strong performer early in his career with the Warriors and toured England with the Kangaroos in 2003.

But he has since struggled with injury and form, and now finds himself behind certainties Steve Price and Ruben Wiki, as well as Evarn Tuimavave and even newcomer George Tuakura in the frontrowers' queue.

Coach Ivan Cleary said Villasanti remained part of his plans, but also indicated he would not stand in the prop's way if he wanted to leave.

"If he thinks his career can be better off somewhere else, then all good to him," he said.

"But if it doesn't work out and he stays, he's certainly part of our plans."

Villasanti has been overlooked for the match against the Storm.

Instead, he will appear in the curtainraiser for the Warriors' elite development side against the Tamaki Leopards, the Bartercard Cup team previously known as Otahuhu Ellerslie.

- NZPA