A SIX-POINT penalty from Group 3 could prove costly for Port Macquarie Sharks and their quest to make this year’s first grade semi-finals.
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The Sharks were hit with a Breach Notice from the group last Sunday following victories in round two and round four.
They are believed to have failed to provide video footage to the Match Review Committee following wins over Macleay Valley on April 22 and Taree City on May 6.
The Taree City club had sought to have a Shark cited following their match.
As a result, the six-point punishment has seen Port slip to last on the competition ladder, seven points adrift of finals contention.
The CRL Policy for a match review provides the opportunity to have any conduct of a player that may constitute an offence considered by the Match Review Committee.
Group 3 policy states that clubs hosting matches must take footage of first grade matches and have this footage available for the Match Review Committee on request.
Penalties can be handed out to clubs in the form of monetary fines, demerit points (each club has 10 for the year across all grades) or the possible loss of competition points.
Once clubs have lost all 10 of their demerit points for breaches, then competition points are deducted.
Group 3 chief executive Barrie Smith said it was a “clear breach of protocol”, although the Sharks will appeal the punishment.
“They have a solicitor to act on their behalf so that will take place in the coming days or weeks,” he said.
“It won’t be this week, it will probably be the week after.”
It was a clear breach of protocol.
- Group 3 chief executive Barrie Smith
Smith said the result of any appeal was likely to drag on for a number of weeks.
“The reality is that if it’s overturned they will get all those points back and that will be based on their participation in the semi-finals which is a long way off yet,” he said.
“While I can appreciate they want some sort of closure on it, it really won’t impact them until we come to the finals series.”
When asked what the likelihood was of the Sharks appeal being overturned, Smith would not comment.
“I won’t comment on that, (but) it’s more than likely going to be ongoing, yes,” he said.
The Sharks also preferred not to comment until the appeal had been heard when contacted by the Port News.
