We cannot say with an certainty that Batley only won the game because of Fairbank's try. If he wasn't in the team how do we know they would not have won anyway, we don't so that's all if's and buts and people IMO need to move on. The argument is that we have been penalised and suffered relegation because rules were broken whether innocent or not. Those rule breakers have not been punished causing Keighley to be relegated. Had the rules not been broken we would be relegated fair and square so we have not been relegated because of Batley. We got relegated because over the course of the season we didn't finish high enough, nor did we play well enough consistently. That is fact.

I think we have a strong case for reinstatement but this case could run and run. If the Cougars are reinstated and Batley relegated I am sure they will start a legal case. I could be wrong, but the DR breaches last season did not affect the relegation places so this season it's a different case. If we are reinstated will that mean that Sheffield and Whitehaven start proceedings. I think the RFL has to be very careful.

I would suggest that they won't have the balls to relegate Batley. Therefore, what about this scenario;

Reinstate Keighley as we should be.
Take 3 points off Batley and Donny, scrap DR.
Reduce relegation to 4 teams and adjust the Championship structure accordingly.
That way, Donny and Batley will be punished accordingly but other teams do not suffer. If Donny and Batley lose money, tough luck. Call it a fine.

I think this is the only way it can get concluded without being very messy. In my eyes Batley should be relegated for the breach, but feel the RFL are on dodgy ground regarding DR so this would seem a sensible solution.

Why should it?

As we know to our expense, we were forced to play four games in 14 days, three of which we could have won:

Sunday June 1 Halifax
Thursday June 5 Widnes
Tuesday June 10 Whitehaven
Sunday June 15 Batley Bulldogs

All that the RFL need to do, sorry should do, is postpone the games which are affected and then state that the subsequent Rounds must be played on dates that they decide in order to ensure that the final is played on the date for which it has been fixed.

After all, they did it to us.

You can never predict the outcome of any match with 100% certainty! But you can say that on paper player "x" is better than player "y". You can say that a team using player "x" is doing so to have more chance of winning. If player "x" scores you can say he has influenced the game and given his team more chance of winning. Fact.

If a team using player x does so when they are short of players, at a critical part of a season in which 5 teams are relegated, you can make a pretty certain assumption that it was an attempt to win a match they might otherwise loose.

If player "x" is actually ineligible to play in that game, by the rules laid down by the governing body, then you would expect that body to impose fair punishment. It is not unreasonable to expect that punishment to be the value of a match win - 3 points. This is the value of the original sanction imposed by the RFL.

This can be spun in any direction you want, but a team cheated to help win a match in a unique season with 5 relegation places with them in the mix to go down. Fact

The team were let off under appeal by claiming the RFL should follow a precedent that is in fact not valid for this unique season. Fact

If they had been penalised by the original and fair penalty imposed by the RFL then Keighley would not have been demoted. Fact

But I do agree wholeheartedly that we should have put the matter to bed on the pitch by winning, and that is purely down to the coach and players, and they know it.

The RFL have now engineered themselves into a hole and will try and bluff their way out of it, as they have many times in the past. I think only legal action, or the threat of it will make them change their mind. Keighley shouldn't accept any argument or fobbing off. If the consequences are difficult to handle for the RFL then tough. As the saying goes "they made their bed ...."

Batley must have a much more acute feeling of elephant presence in their room. Their worst season for years, season long criticism of the coach, his signings, their board. Hence the pervading sense of desperation for a win prior to their match away at Sheffield (where they won with the ineligible player they selected for the match).

If Batley had been as good this season as they had been in recent seasons, they wouldn't have got themselves into this shambles either.

Great post CHC and I totally agree

If the RFL can't see the desperation of Batley then they would struggle to know where their noses are!

This is another injustice to Cougars in my books

This year has seen

Marchy get a 4 match ban
Marchy get an unprecedented 2 months stadium ban
4 games to be played in 9 days (something ridiculous like that)
Teams let off for breaking the rules with huge consequences

The RFL sure don't want Keighley around for they!

Batley will indeed be worried by their performance, but grateful it's us and not them. I think the RFL are back on their Christmas card list (and possibly a few bottles of champers and a dozen pies for Nidge).

I think the only thing we'll get is an April fool's card.