Blackpool Panthers have been deducted 10 league points after being found guilty of a series of breaches of RFL registration and salary cap rules by an RFL Tribunal.

The breaches relate to the contracts of 12 players with the Co-operative Championship One club and were discovered following an investigation by the RFL’s Compliance Manager.

Blackpool have indicated that they will not be lodging an appeal against the points deduction, which takes place with immediate effect.

The verdict means they drop from third in the table, eight points behind leaders Hunslet with a game in hand, down to sixth.

But there was a strong school of thought which felt that the Panthers shopuld have been docked sufficient points to knock them completely out of play-off reckoning

It also means that Workington Town are now level on points with the Panthers with 28 and the battle for third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh has been intensified.

Hunslet and Oldham are now in a two horse race for the title with the eventual runners-up going into the play-offs with any five from six – York, Rochdale, Blackpool, Workington, South Wales and Swinton.

Actually if the posotions were to stay as they are at this moment in time Workington would travel to Blackpool in the first round of the play-offs.

Town have it in their own hands to clinch their play-off place as they play both Rochdale and Swinton at Derwent Park.

They have a tough trip to title hopefuls Hunslet a week tomorrow and round-off the regulation season by going to Doncaster.
 
Co-operative Championship One
Team P W D L F A Pts
Hunslet  17 15 0 2 742 243 46
Oldham  16 14 0 2 545 346 43
York  17 10 0 7 533 443 33
Rochdale  16 9 0 7 564 394 32
Blackpool  16 12 0 4 623 274 28
Workington  16 7 1 8 428 384 28
South Wales  16 7 0 9 472 386 26
Swinton  16 7 1 8 386 487 25
Doncaster  17 6 0 11 398 554 22
London Skolars  17 1 0 16 318 776 7
Gateshead  16 1 0 15 204 926 -2
•  Gateshead deducted six points.
+  Blackpool deducted ten points

---

Bookmark with: what are these?