From smh.com.au
THE Warriors have been handicapped out of the running for this year's final series after being docked four points.
Teams such as Parramatta or St George Illawarra would be able to overcome such a penalty and still figure in the finish. After all, the Dragons lost five of their first six games last season, when they were torn apart by injury, before recovering to lose the minor premiership only on percentages to the Eels.
But the Warriors simply aren't good enough to come from two wins behind the rest of the 15-team field and finish in the top eight. They weren't good enough to make the finals after starting on level terms last year and they have since lost their best player in Stacey Jones.
Some will say the Warriors have been let off lightly compared with the Bulldogs, who were docked 37 points in 2002, but that is to ignore the different circumstances involved.
The rorts by the Bulldogs were twice as big as the rorts by the Warriors and the Bulldogs tried to survive through concealment while the new Warriors management took concerns to the League.
The Bulldogs were runaway competition leaders at the time, but they could hardly be allowed to challenge for the title.
Mathematically speaking, the Warriors aren't out of the running for anything based on a four-point penalty, but in reality they are. They would have been hard-pressed to make the finals in any case this year, but in a competition as even as the NRL it's going to be awfully difficult for what is effectively a mid-range team to make an impact coming off minus four.
The Warriors will pay a further price when player payments that are deferred to get the club under the cap for this year inevitably force them to shed players next year. It is a tough penalty, don't worry about that.
THE Warriors have been handicapped out of the running for this year's final series after being docked four points.
Teams such as Parramatta or St George Illawarra would be able to overcome such a penalty and still figure in the finish. After all, the Dragons lost five of their first six games last season, when they were torn apart by injury, before recovering to lose the minor premiership only on percentages to the Eels.
But the Warriors simply aren't good enough to come from two wins behind the rest of the 15-team field and finish in the top eight. They weren't good enough to make the finals after starting on level terms last year and they have since lost their best player in Stacey Jones.
Some will say the Warriors have been let off lightly compared with the Bulldogs, who were docked 37 points in 2002, but that is to ignore the different circumstances involved.
The rorts by the Bulldogs were twice as big as the rorts by the Warriors and the Bulldogs tried to survive through concealment while the new Warriors management took concerns to the League.
The Bulldogs were runaway competition leaders at the time, but they could hardly be allowed to challenge for the title.
Mathematically speaking, the Warriors aren't out of the running for anything based on a four-point penalty, but in reality they are. They would have been hard-pressed to make the finals in any case this year, but in a competition as even as the NRL it's going to be awfully difficult for what is effectively a mid-range team to make an impact coming off minus four.
The Warriors will pay a further price when player payments that are deferred to get the club under the cap for this year inevitably force them to shed players next year. It is a tough penalty, don't worry about that.
