By PAUL YANDALL
The Auckland Warriors rugby league club has been given one last chance to sort out its problems or it will be kicked out of Australia's National Rugby League competition.
The club's sale has stalled because of infighting among its Tainui owners and it has been hit with a tax bill of nearly $500,000 that could lead to its liquidation.
Now, it has been sent a warning by NRL chief executive David Moffett.
In the High Court at Hamilton yesterday, Justice Grant Hammond called for a hearing on Thursday to determine who is in charge of Tainui and whether the Warriors can be sold.
Mr Moffett said the club's troubles were holding up the promotion of next season and there was little patience left.
"This really is the last chance we're giving them to get this sorted out, both on and off the field," he said.
"They have to find a solution now and it has to be sustainable. We are not going to go through this again in one or two years."
Mr Moffett said the NRL appreciated that a lot of "very complex and difficult issues" surrounded the Warriors, but the interests of the sport came first.
Tainui legal adviser Shane Solomon said the club would face liquidation if it did not pay its $500,000 tax bill by the end of the month.
But it did not now have the money to pay, he said.
"Can we pay it? You will have to know who the shareholders [will be]. That hasn't been determined yet."
The Inland Revenue Department served a statutory demand on the club on Friday for taxes unpaid since June 20 totalling nearly $500,000.
Warriors players have been told not to talk to the media about the club's problems, but Australian sports agent Simon Burgess, who represents 12 of the club's first-grade players, said many of his clients were frustrated.
Warriors given last chance
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