I think the no accrual penalty is the only part they got wrong. It's counter productive for Rugby League as a game going forward, especially in a frontier market. I don't think they should be allowed a reasonable chance of making the finals but to have them running around literally for nothing until March 2010 is only going to damage the fragile hold Rugby League has in Melbourne at a crucial time as a rival Rugby code is setting up their team and Soccer is expanding. I agree with all the other penalties...
* Striping premierships and minor premierships - good but largely academic.
* Replayment of prize money - definitely, it's ill gotten gains.
* Significant fine - good but probably should also count against the salary cap over a number of future years.
I still think they should have lost all points won so far this season. But rather than leaving them with nothing to play for for the remainder of 2010, I think they should not be allowed to accrue any points prior to the end of round 13 (halfway mark of the season) or until they reduce player payments for 2010 to under the salary cap - whichever comes later.
Essentially the club would not be allowed back into the premiership race until they are under the cap, they would still be penalised by lose of all points won so far and barred from earning any points for the first half of the season.
That would allow them to play the rest of the year with it actually counting and a slim chance, albeit largely theoretical, of making the finals. Given the need to win all 13 games straight, it's highly unlikely they would make the finals, thereby achieving the aim of excluding them. But in the very unlikely case they did get to 26 points and it was enough to make the finals, then it would be a spectacular feat in itself, worthy of witnessing.
Don't give them much. They don't deserve it. But at least give them some ray of light if only for the bigger picture of the game's survival in Melbourne and the negative effect its withdrawal from there would have on upcoming television negotiations.
Leigh.