Originally Posted by Symbul

Ret paladins are a poor alternative to Warriors (no snare, less stuntime after you factor in mace procs and intercept, no MS, top burst for a Pal is slightly higher but Warriors are more consistent and don't run out of steam, which Ret Paladins do very fast) and even worse alternatives to real healers (like... 4 weak Holy Lights before the mana reserves are up?).
My guild's other (the one I'm not in, that is) 5v5 team runs a lineup with a Ret Paladin and they hover around 2k. Doesn't mean Ret is suddenly an amazing build but you can run a successful arena squad with a player as Ret - more so when there's a second Paladin specced for support on the roster.
With good teamplay you can overcome some of Ret's weaknesses and get a little mileage out of it but it's definitely uphill compared to other classes. Hopefully we'll get a review before Icecrown is on the PTR.