"It will be a test of character for that playing group and I'm sure at the end of the season we'll be able to look back and see what sort of people they are," White told The World Game.
White was a member of the Melbourne Storm side that had its 2007 and 2009 premiership titles stripped after the club was found to have systematically cheated the salary cap. The club was also forced to play the 2010 season for no competition points, meaning it was guaranteed to run last.
David Gallop, now the FFA chief executive who handed down the penalties on Friday which included barring high-flying Perth from competing in the finals series, was the NRL chief executive at the time.
The penalties to the Storm were announced after just six rounds of the 26-round season in 2010. The club had picked up eight points from four wins in the first six rounds, but those points were stripped and then the players had to drive themselves on with no prospect of finals football.
They did so admirably, winning 10 of their remaining 18 games and finishing the regular season with 14 wins - the same number of wins they recorded the year before, when they went on to win the premiership.
Had they been allowed to collect points, Melbourne would have finished in the finals-bound top eight in fifth place.
The Perth players only found out the team had been barred from competing in the finals, as part of the penalty for the club having cheated the salary cap, a few hours before their game against Sydney FC on Friday night.
They battled on, but as the game continued it appeared as if the life had been sucked out of them and they lost, 3-0. That was not unexpected, considering the timing of the announcement so close to the game.
The Perth management is fighting the FFA decision, first with an attempt to get a court injunction and with appeals processes through the FFA possible as well, but the FFA clearly believes it is on very strong ground with its decision.
The players are no doubt despairing at their situation, with what had shaped up as a potentially spectacular finish to a great season having been ruined, but at least now they have a week between games to try to clear their heads and re-focus on their performance.
White said they must stand tall and do themselves justice by playing their hearts out to the end.
Asked how the Storm managed to continue on and remain very competitive, despite the crushing disappointment of the decision against them, White replied: "It was about the culture we had, the culture of the players there. It was just ingrained in us.
"We didn't know anything different, really. We didn't know anything else but winning - week in, week out. That was the culture that we had and I guess for Perth the next couple of games will show the character of the club they have there.
"It was an awful time for us at the Storm. The group of players at Perth will be going through that now and what has happened has nothing to do with them.
"They've worked so hard for no doubt many years to get where they are and to finally be on the brink of success and to have it all be taken away, it's a terrible thing. Unfortunately, someone's done something wrong in the office and everything is taken away from you.
"But, like I said, the way we played was ingrained in us and we ended up winning just as many games fighting for no points as we did fighting for points the year before, when we won the comp."
White said the essence of the Storm's winning culture meant that, sometimes, winning wasn't even enough to satisfy the players.
"I remember a season or two before the year we played for no points, being in the sheds one day after having a win and it was quiet," he said.
"A reporter came in and made the comment: 'What's happened? Has there been bad news?'
"We'd won, but it was only by four points and it wasn't good enough. We weren't at our best and we weren't happy about that. That was the sort of culture we had. You play well and win and nothing else was acceptable."
Perth coach Kenny Lowe said all the right things after the loss to Sydney. It is clear he understands how he and the playing group must try to handle the situation.
"The ultimate thing is we all hang in there and stick together, and finish off the season in a proud manner where you can have some integrity about yourself," Lowe said. "It's down to us to make sure we look after each other, and we're together.
"This can actually be a defining moment for the club. When you are down and you are like that, that's how you judge people. You see true characters. I think in the next few days we'll see some true characters in our football club."
White said the attitude of the great Storm coach, Craig Bellamy, was critically important in the case of the players there.
"Our mindset developed from the way he had trained us and prepared us," White said. "He was struggling just as much as anyone else with the situation, but the way he trained us to be, mentally strong, is what carried us through it.
"It was a terrible time for us. It was really hard, but the one thing we knew how to do and enjoy was play well and win footy games."
White said the Perth players must lean on each other for support.
"That's what brought me happiness at the time, being around the boys," he said. "I hated being at home at the time, because I was on my own. At training, you're with your mates - you're all in the same boat, going through the same thing.
"It was a really good feeling to be with your mates, especially playing and winning. It really got us through that period."
White says it helps if a few players can lighten the mood, as well.
"Brett Finch was a big help, keeping the boys' morale up around the place," he said. "You've got to have fun as well and enjoy winning. At the end of the day all sportsmen are alike and I'm sure the guys at Perth Glory are exactly the same.
"You love the game, you grow up loving it and you love playing it. It's a buzz. You play for money and that's your job, but at the end of the day everyone loves playing and everyone loves winning.
"So there's no reason those guys can't go out and perform at their best in the games they have left and enjoy having some success still."
