The Parramatta Eels haven't given up hope of resurrecting their season with coach Brad Arthur insisting the playing group is hellbent on making an emotion-charged run into finals football.
The 12-point docking means the Eels now sit eight points outside the top eight with 17 rounds remaining (including two byes). Arthur believes 12 wins from their final 15 games will see the Eels feature in September for the first time since 2009.
"They were disappointed but they were determined as well," Arthur told Fairfax Media.
"There's still a bit of hope they are hanging on to. There's obviously a bit of work to do between now and next Friday to put us in a position where we can play for points. We have 15 games, we have to win 12 of them. It's like all of us. You try and talk yourself into it that it's not going to be that bad. But even when it does hit, you've prepared yourself for the worst anyway."
Eels legend Peter Sterling echoed the sentiment and said he was optimistic the club can still play finals football this season.
The Eels were rocked by news they will return to zero and won't be able to start gathering competition points until they rectify the situation that now sees them $570,000 over the salary cap.
However, Sterling insists the news isn't as bad as most feared.
"It's a difficult day for the club and the game in general but there is actually that ray of sunshine there," Sterling told Channel Nine.
"I think the general feeling had been that the club would be in no way in a position to play finals football this year and the hierarchy would make that an impossibility.
"But the fact is, it's 12 competition points lost, if they can get under that salary cap, which means they might have to lose a player or two or look at what they can do with their budget for the next year or two to come. But there are ways to achieve that.
"That they can actually start playing for competition points. We have a rep round this weekend. That gives them a little bit of breathing space as well. If they won 12 of their next 15 games, that would be close to the mark that would get them there.
"That's the ray of sunshine this morning on what has been a particularly dark day and a dark couple of months."
The Eels, who have also been stripped of the Auckland Nines trophy they won earlier this season, have had five officials deregistered.
Club chairman Steve Sharp, deputy chairman Tom Issa, director Peter Serrao, CEO John Boulous and Head of Football Daniel Anderson have all been asked to leave the club.
While the Eels still have work to do to get under the salary cap in time for the round 10 game against South Sydney on Friday week, Arthur believes they have the talent to make a charge into September.
"(The players) are defiant. Twelve (wins) from 15 (games) - that's the situation and they're determined," Arthur said.
"We're very disappointed, but there's still hope for us. At the start of the year we wanted to play finals football and nothing's changed and we're really committed to trying to do our best to make sure that can still happen come 26 years rounds. We've won 68 per cent of our games at the moment, we've got to win 80 per cent of our games.
"It's tough but we're prepared for the fight and we're really committed to trying to do our best to make sure that can still happen come after 26 rounds. We've won 68 per cent of our games at the moment. We've got to win 80 per cent of our games. It's tough but we're prepared for the fight."
