Batley, as well as the Dons, are appealing against their points deduction for fielding an ineligible player.

Both clubs have revealed little as to why they feel an appeal is justified.

I've been checking through the RFL rules to see if I could identify any areas that could be contentious. The rule that has been breached is that the said players had not played three games for their Dual Reg side before the transfer deadline, making them ineligible for games after the transfer deadline.

B3

Could it be possible that the Dons had attempted to switch Ben Crooks over to a loan agreement on the Saturday, after the Friday transfer deadline, which would be the day before the Keighley game, thereby making the three game rule irrelevant according to the above rule? The only condition that then seems to apply is that he must play three games in order to to be eligible for the Play Offs.

Could this be what all the fuss is about?

Three points deducted or none - you'll probably still finish fourth.

Why would anyone want to risk a bigger penalty than the slap on the wrist Dons have been given ?

Leave well enough alone.


Batley - on the other hand - different kettle of fish. On the face of it, they've had a lighter penalty, just losing the three points they gained when playing the ineligible player. Yet those three points will most likely tip the scales towards relegation. They have to appeal.

And the appeals need to be held soon. Whitehaven, in particular, need to know where they stand.

Rugby League WAS once called a SIMPLE game played by SIMPLE people.

It gets more like R U every year.

Now ruled by SIMPLE people.

The Dons appeal could be heard on Thursday.

Well, I'm not sure Dons can wait. There'll be a time limit.

If nowt else, we're two games away from the end of the season. Other clubs as well as the apellants need to know where they stand.

Apart from the competition, there's (relatively) big money at stake here. A problem which the gormless halfwits at Red Hall have foisted on themselves with this "stepped funding" plan for 2015.

Early, unconfirmed, reports suggesting that The Dons have had their points returned following their appeal at 2pm today

Has been tweeted by Carl Hall now...excellent result!

Brilliant result ... we can relax a bit now.
The whole thing hinged on the fact that the Dons were given assurances that it was OK to play Ben Crookes by people connected with the RFL.
And so we did.

Hope the facts come out , hope someone at the rfl has admitted a mistake .

Batley have also had their points returned.

Whitehaven fans doing their nut will want to see and official RFL statement to explian the reversal

This also means that we can finish third by winning both our remaining matches and get more dosh.
And also avoid Leigh.
PS we can finish second, but I can't see it happening.

Woods has exploded £100K damage in Whitehaven !

Cue Tubby ............for the Shitehawks.