http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...s/news-story/030208514fa12a72714b3631a1d3b9a1
Parramatta players back club’s appeal on stripped points
Parramatta players have backed the club’s appeal to the NRL to have some of the stripped points returned to the club but in the same breath they say they don’t expect any favours.
It is understood legal advice to the Eels is that they could succeed in having some of their differential, or points for and against, returned.
The club had its 55-point differential and 12 competition points — accrued while they were over the salary cap — stripped by NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg.
The club was also fined $1 million and on Monday they launched their appeal against those NRL sanctions.
A hearing is expected in a few weeks to decide if there is enough substance to the Eels’ claims for them to be taken before former High Court judge Ian Callinan, who heads the NRL appeals committee.
At Parramatta’s training session yesterday, ahead of facing the Gold Coast on Saturday, the players voiced their support at any measures helping them get to the finals.
“Any chance we can get back into the winner’s circle and gather some points that we’ve earned this year, but that have been taken off us, for sure (we support it),” captain Beau Scott said.
“Whatever has happened in the past at the club needs to be punished.
“For whatever reasons, the NRL has done what they see fit. We’ve got to live with it.
“As a playing group, we’re the ones that got punished. It is what it is.
“We’ve known it all year that this cloud was over our heads.”
The Eels are in 14th spot after falling from fifth before the points were taken away.
But their current for and against of six points makes them the only team in the positive from the bottom 10 clubs.
So getting back some of that earlier differential accumulation could help them if they were tied with other teams for eighth spot after 26 rounds. There are seven rounds left.
“Anything that goes in our favour we’ll be hoping it happens,” said utility Kenny Edwards. “To be honest, with the year we’ve had, nothing has gone our way.
“We’re not looking for favours from anyone. We’ll take each week as it comes and our focus this week is playing the Gold Coast.”
One of the players helping to keep Parramatta in the hunt is winger Bevan French, who has scored nine tries in his past six games, including two in the loss to Penrith last Sunday.
“We’re still very confident we can get seven from seven (matches). That attitude doesn’t change at all,” French said yesterday.
“Obviously if they (the club) try and get some of our for-and-against points back that would be great. But me and the boys are not focused on that.
“We just focus on our training each week and leave the outside stuff alone. Our coach (Brad Arthur) and his coaching staff have been very good to keep our minds on our jobs and not elsewhere.” The job this week will be finding a way to win without Corey Norman. The talented five-eighth trained yesterday but will be stood down against the Titans after missing the Penrith match, while the Eels and the NRL Integrity Unit liaise on Norman’s full punishment after he pleaded guilty to two minor drug possession charges in court last week and was the centre of a sex tape drama.
Winger-fullback Clint Gutherson filled in at No 6 last week, emerging quite the hero with a try, two try assists, three line breaks, and making 119m from 12 touches.
“Flip a coin,” Scott said on whether Gutherson or Brad Takairangi would get the nod.
“I thought Gutho played great on the weekend — really stepped up.”
Takairangi returns to the centres after three weeks out with a strained hamstring.
