By Phil Mercer BBC Sport Online

There's been a death in Australia's sporting family.

The Canterbury Bulldogs, the powerhouse of this year's NRL, have been found to have cheated their way to the top of the ladder.

The scandal has shaken the country's sense of fair play and has dominated both the front and backs pages.

In rugby league's heartland, Sydney, the Dogs' disgrace has eclipsed every other news story.

Imagine being a fan of Arsenal or Celtic and seeing your team's championship dreams ruined and you will understand how a Canterbury supporter feels.

We owe it to our players and supporters to appeal against the NRL's penalty

Steve Mortimer

Bulldogs fans are staying loyal to the club

Meanwhile, the man accused of masterminding the massive breach in the salary cap, Gary McIntyre, has stepped down as club president.

But McIntyre has denied any wrongdoing, insisting: "I have resigned with great regret as people will assume it is a concession of guilt."

It is now up to a new management team, headed by former player Steve Mortimer, to save what it can from the mess.

Mortimer will appear before the NRL board this week to plead for the club's reinstatement to the premiership race.

It is the first step in the appeal process which the new bosses insist must be followed for the sake of the Bulldog's disillusioned army of fans.

"We owe it to our players and supporters to appeal against the NRL's penalty," Mortimer said.

The strength and dignity given to the game by the triumphant return of the South Sydney Rabbitohs from NRL exile has been eroded by the Bulldogs scandal.

Australia's rival football codes are increasingly able to challenge the historical dominance of the 13-man game.

And league's latest self-inflicted wound could tilt the balance even further in favour of union and Aussie Rules.

Braith Anasta may leave the club

The success of the Super 12 competition and its powerful backers has tempted a legion of high-profile NRL players to defect in recent seasons.

And the manager of Bulldogs five-eighth, Braith Anasta, has already hinted his young charge could also jump ship in the light of the salary cap controversy.

Despite the problems, many within the NRL are confident the game will not only weather the storm but emerge even stronger.

The boss of the Penrith Panthers, Shane Richardson, told The Australian newspaper he was sure the sport had not suffered any long-term and irreparable damage.

"Rugby league has been doing so-called irreparable damage to itself for 100 years," he said. "It keeps fighting back. This will be no different."

Despite the problems, the Bulldogs affair has made one fan happy and richer.

A punter who wagered $5 (�2) on the Doggies finishing last this season is ready to collect - at odds of 1000-1.