As a Warriors fan, it's galling and a bit traumatic to see the events that have transpired. All us on here (Warriors fans) have a deep love for the club, and the game in New Zealand and this is a big backwards step for that.
I find it interesting considering I would have thought retaining players in their own country, and bringing players to a country with lower living costs would have been highly achievable if marketed right to the players. I mean you can buy a mansion with $300,000 in NZL, in AUS you can barely buy a shoebox in Alice Springs with that. That'd be something I'd find enticing in terms of long term financially managing my career. From a Kiwi players perspective, its not always easy leaving home - particularly good to tap into when there's such a huge yet raw pool of players back home. Coupling those two factors together, a decent core squad of players should be attainable under the salary cap for the Warriors. Perhaps I'm underestimating the added cost of luring Australian based players to New Zealand?
I'd suggest some players have been significantly over paid far above and beyond their value. A lot of players have hit highs in contract years, and then mysteriously troughed out at a low output. Players such as Richard Villasanti and Clinton Toopi spring to mind. Past players such as Francis Meli is another.
However, justice needs to prevail. If the NRL deem 6 points is the accepted level of punishment, then so be it. We as fans of the Warriors need to know whats good for the goose is good for the gander, we flaunted it, so be it. I'd hate to see player cuts, and I say this because I've yet to meet an A-hole Warriors player off field - as a fan they've always been more than accomodating, I'd like some to take cuts and build some unity, honour in trust in the jumper but understand thats not necessarily going to happen. It'd be disappointing to see the family again be forced to shatter.
The other thing that bugs me is, the culling/early releases of Jones, Vinnie Anderson, Fa'afili, Murphy, Tookey, Motu Tony, Vince Mellars, Matt Jobson, Danny Sullivan, Monty Betham, PJ Marsh - was their contract releases a cover up to try and avoid Mick Watson and Spiro Tsiros being caught out earlier? How with all those 'releases' have the Warriors not been able to stay under the cap, its bewildering. There's half a good first grade squad right there that have not seen the end of their contracts.
All in all, a big kick in the seat of the pants for the game back home, especially disappointing on the back of the Kiwis success and the interest that attracted back home. I seriously hope Wayne Scurrah is more transparent and honest in his managing of this club than his predecessor was. There are values that can drive this, and any club to success. There's no reason for us to take short cuts, and we should be duly punished as such.
