They can't give Nigel a Blackberry, he'd put it in a pie and eat it!

Rochdale are clearly the common denominator here.

The RFL should throw the book at them.

I normally take what I read on here with a pinch of salt however the ostick thread does concern me. What do people really think. Are the resignations of clay and posner linked to this. If it does prove to be correct and we have made a massive error and the club knows about it surely they have a moral obligation to let fans know . I ,for one , do not want to go to a game , pay my £15 , buy a pint etc only to discover 2 days later that we have been chucked out of the cup. Legally where would the club stand. If they knew what was coming and there is a problem would they refund the fans who went - without tickets how canyou prove you went. Perhaps I am making a mountain out of a molehill - I hope I am but I am concerned

As the available facts stand - it looks worrying. The only thing not clear is the punishment - that hasn't been specified by the RFL. It could be another Hull-Thackeray and all the accusations of cheating that comes with it. Or, it could be a fine, a ban and an example being made. After all, we're not a Super League club like Hull. They tend to hand out the heavy stuff to the poor sods "below stairs" - that'll be us!

You could end up with the same rediculous situation that happened at Durham CCC in the 20/20 cup when the game against Yorkshire was called off, with both teams and supporters in the ground waiting for play to begin, because Yorkshire had played an illegible player in an earlier game

Jesus Christ I hope this aint true. Theres no way wed knowingly take a risk like tha surely, especially against a team like Swinton.
If we do suffer some form of consequence then it would have been a massive mistake. However being labelled 'cheats' would be ridiculous.

The RFL came out with a statement after the Thackery incident saying that in future any team breaking the rule would be thrown out. Don't look hood but maybe there is some logical explanation.

If we are guilty we deserve to be thrown out, it made a mockery of the sport when Hull were allowed to continue. However, because we have not heard anything since and especially in the immediate aftermath of the Swinton game I have a bit of faith that we must have obeyed the rules and that my earlier post about Cup registration dates is true.

Althought I did have a bit of a nightmare last night though. I dreamt that I went on the Courier website on Monday to look at the match report of todays game and it said - "FAX BANNED FROM CUP. Fax were today chucked out of the game's oldest and most prestigious competition because they fielded an ineligble player in an earlier round against Swinton. The RFL decided to act after a sleuth on an Internet Fans Forum picked up on the potential violation of the selection of Michael Ostick who had played in the 3rd round for Rochdale Hornets."

I hope my dreams don't come true in this instance

Completely agree - if we have broken the rules we should be thrown out. However, what makes me think we will be ok, is the fact that the Swinton game was last month, and to have any credibility the RFL should have picked this up, if we have played him when we shouldnt have.

Bit of a silly statement that. If I was to go out tonight and beat someone to death, would I be let off if the police took more than a few months to catch me?

No you missed the point - I mean ok, as in we are fine to play him and the RFL know about it.

Ahh, apologies for getting my wires-crossed!
However, this is the RFL we're talking about. They couldn't organise an orgy in a brothel, let alone pick up the involvement of a cup-tied player in a CC game!

See the Batley Chairmen has confirmed that the game is going ahead.

Do you have a source for that? I can't seem to access Batley's Official Website.

He posts on the Batley forum under "Kevin"

[urlhttp://www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=202175[/url

Wheres James Roberts when you need him


I hope hes tried ringing some of them for clarification, makes a great story. the trouble is we continually make great stories for everything apart from winning silverware. This debacle does not surprise me one bit.

Thanks for that.

If it turns out that we have broken the rules and we get kicked out of the cup it will go down as the biggest piece of rank mismanagement ever. I mean, with all due respect to Swinton, we hammered them and would have done even without Ostick so I am sure it was not down to deliberate cheating just gross ineptitude.

I agree. Find it hard to believe that anyone at the club would allow this to happen. Its not as if its a new rule!

The other thing to consider is the fact that the Draw is being made today after the tv game. If we beat Batley and then get thrown out, then its disgracefull that Batley wont be in the draw and the SL side or Barrow/Hunslet might get a bye to the semi-final.

The ironic thing is that if Shayfax hadn't brought the subject up we wouldn't be having this discussion at allas there is no mention of this anywhere but on the forums and I assume that is where "Kevin" picked up on it. Because of this I am hoping it is just a storm in a teacup.

Could our management really be so stupid?

Surely today's game shouldn't go ahead until this has been properly investigated by the RFL

In that sense we should be hanging ShayFax out to dry. I'll get the pitchforks, someone get the torches.

Are we sure that the sky listings are correct? Cannot find another source that lists the team list.

Can't see us making this mistake... The coach, player, football director etc. all overlooking this? There will be an explanation - have faith...

Hull FC did it, why not?