Salford Red Devils have been left reeling after being fined £5,000 and docked six points for being found guilty of breaking the Super League salary cap.
An independent RFL tribunal at the authority’s headquarters in Leeds chaired by His Honour Judge Peter Charlesworth found Salford had broken the rules on exceeding salaries of £1.825 million in the past two years.
Three players – who have not yet been named – were the subject of the tribunal.
It’s the heaviest punishment for a Super League club since 2007, when Wigan were docked four points for exceeding the sport’s £1.6 million wage ceiling
This morning Mr Koukash vowed to fight the fines and appeal against the decision.
“I owe it to the current squad and to our fans to fight the decision made by the RFL tribunal. The club will appeal,” he tweeted on Tuesday morning.
It’s a slight change of position from last night, just hours after the end of the RFL tribunal, when Koukash said Salford Devils would only appeal “if the RFL can demonstrate to the club and to the sport that the proceedings will be independent”.
Mr Koukash is still denying that Salford broke any rules, saying he is “very shocked and hugely disappointed with the outcome”.
The Devils were, however, found not guilty of a number of offences involving contracts between the club and two unnamed players.
Sorry : 3 bloody points for speeding to get to the RFL today on time
— Marwan Koukash (@drmarwanK) April 25, 2016
The result of last night’s tribunal at the authority’s Leeds headquarters means despite a promising start to the season Salford Red Devils are left languishing at the foot of the table.
The sport’s governing body announced its intention in early March that it would investigate Marwan Koukash for overpaying players above and beyond the £1.825 million limit, in the past two years.
It’s thought they were prompted by a letter by Bradford Bulls chairman Marc Green which outlined concerns about Koukash’s dealings which was leaked to the rugby league press.
Koukash denied the claims in a typically outspoken press conference last month.
Gifts, cash and wages: Koukash blasts RFL for salary cap claims
Since the start of the Super League in 1996 the RFL has imposed points deductions only eight times for salary cap breaches.
2001: Wakefield – 2 points; 2003: Halifax – 2 points; 2003: Hull FC – 2 points; 2003: St Helens – 2 points; 2006: Bradford – 2 points; 2006: Wigan – 2 points; 2007: Bradford – 2 points; 2007: Wigan – 4 points.
There have been none since 2007, when the Super League appointed a salary cap manager to monitor the situation.
The club have 14 days to appeal.
