The two-point deduction is fair just for the sheer stupidity of it.

The salary cap regulations are very clear. They're right rlhererl in black and white, page 280 and 282 of the RFL operational rules. Section 5.2 clearly states that agent fees have to be declared, and section 5.6.2 clearly states that personal travel that is included in a players contract have to be declared. They are, after all, a taxable benefit.

Now if a fan on the internet can find this information within 20 seconds on Google, what did the Wigan Warriors financial team find so difficult and why?

From what it seems, Wigan have tried to mislead the RFL in failing to declare payments that the regulations unabiguously state should be declared, and they have since fought back against their own stupidity, citing weak mitigation such as "it's only £15k", "we lost the games anyway", "we had an injury crisis" and "it was the finance team's first day".

The scale of the breach isn't the issue - it's the way that Wigan accounted for costs that they clearly knew were relevant to the salary cap, and failed to disclose them.

Try using those excuses with HMRC and see what happens. You can bet it will cost you more than 2pts

And there are a lot of complicated rules for your tax. There isn’t for the salary cap. It’s on the bleedin website.

Well, what a surprise... rugbyam.co.uk/elstone-says-wigan ... erplexing/

Well, what a surprise... rugbyam.co.uk/elstone-says-wigan ... erplexing/

So it should really have been around £550k fine for Leeds then, Or does it not matter now

Are you talking about Leneghan here or Heathrington lol

Nope I think it should be points deduction, which it was. The fact clubs were dumb enough to change the rules on sanctions since then doesn’t change that view either. But at least one was done knowing a points deduction wasn’t a possible sanction, even if the morals were still an issue.

Needs quite a few napkins on this site, a lot of egg to be wiped off

Think it should be a points deduction for Leeds as well as for Wigan. Personally I think it’s the only real deterrance.

A sliding scale of points deduction for % over the cap up to and including being kicked out of the playoffs (if mid season) or stripped of titles etc.

Yeah points deduction. Don't know why these Pie fans are frothing. My opinion has always been caught over the cap then points deduction my team or not.

Only done it to make you lot feel better

Well it’s worked a treat