I remember Stevo and Eddie completely roasting us over not fielding the strongest team we could have against Widnes. Bringing the game into disrepute, laughing stock etc etc blah blah blah. they even went as far as to say we shouldn't be allowed to play in the cup next year.

Even though we had to play 4 games in 9 days and had no real hope of beating them.

Hopefully he now has seen what bringing the game into disrepute is....that would be cheating with ineligible players. I wonder if he has suggested Batley, Doncaster and the other offenders should be banned from Championship next year?

Not that anyone give a to*s what he says anyway. 'Im with you Eddie'

Over half that side against Widnes were home produced through the Youth Development systems put in place initially by Rammy and Matt Foster , and carried through by Jez, Dean Muir , Tom Hall and the other Scholarship Coaching Staff .

If we do end up going down at least we have that to fall back on , we'd be even further in the mire if not...

I fully see where your coming from. But i am thinking what is the point.

Batley and Donny have not been punished. In fact we have. Its like we have had 3 points taken of us.

I'm totally disgusted by the RFL but it will not stop me watching Keighley next season in either division. However as I live in the Midlands I've been slowly starting to watch more local teams on a Saturday because I like the sport and genuinely wanted to see it grow. Derby, Nottingham, Buxton and even Coventry. I talk to my colleagues and have been slowly getting them more and more interested in Rugby League with them watching the Challenge cup and Sky matches. That said I have lost passion for the wider sport and can't see myself selling Rugby League to my Midlands colleagues or supporting any of my local teams or going to any Professional/Semi-Professional non-Keighley games any more.

Me too, although I can see why guess who feels the way he does. Just when you think the RFL couldn't get any more incompetent, they plumb new depths of utter ineptitude. The greatest game is administered by idiots and it's becoming extremely tiresome. I don't think I could stop watching though; I love going to Cougar Park, I combine trips there with a visit to my parents at Riddlesden, my two kids (both born in Sunderland!) love following their Dad's team and anyway I've already bought my season ticket.
.
I can be at Gateshead Thunder's ground in about ten minutes but I'd really rather not have to go there. Mon the Cougars! And let's hope Donny thrash the Dogs.

Cold hard truth is we are in the relegation battle because we didn't win enough matches not because Batley played an illegible player, simple.

Batley and the DR fiasco was our 'get out of jail free card ' , and whatever the rights and wrongs of the RFL's handling of the matter ,that's now been taken away so its back to where the game should be decided , on the field.

Its not just me then. Last year, I was going to Rhinos on Fridays and Cougars on Sundays. This year, just been to 2 games in total all year, partly because of work, but if i'm honest, just not felt inspired to go to a game when i've not been working, and the Batley shambles hasn't helped my current feelings for the game.

I work late most evenings. Sat is a very busy day for me.
Sun is the day i can spent it with my partner and our kids if they want to come out with us.
Every other Sun we dont do anything as i go to watch Cougars at home.
I pick the odd away game to go to.
Now if i do that and at the end of the season. We go down because the rfl will not punish a team. There really isnt any point in spending my hard earned money and time i could spent with very important people in my life.

what if?

We'd have beaten any or all of: Leigh at home, Batley home and away, NWC at home. Other posters are correct, we've had plenty of chances to make sure we weren't in the position we find ourselves in.

What if teams got winning bonus points for beating the opposition by more than 12 points. It never seems fair to me that some matches yield 4 points for the teams involved (win by less than 12 points or a draw) and others only 3!

The only live rugby i've seen this year is Worthing Vs Wharfedale!

You might see more next Season 333 if we're relegated as a result of the RFL being either corrupt or pathetic!

if we win the next 5 games we'd be champions of this division

The inept RFL can't even organise a 3rd tier competition where everyone plays each other twice! You only play the 4 teams geographically furthest away from you once, and everybody else twice. How is that fair? How many teams in the division will end the season having played exactly the same teams? There will be on suck comparison. RL is a laughing stock. It's embarrassing.

Fair enough but I think the arrangements for League 1 next season are not bad in all the circumstances. And that's why you can get promoted via the playoffs as well as by finishing top of the league. Just hope Cougars aren't in that division.

All championship clubs (except Batley and Doncaster) should get together and put a motion forward to be voted on by ALL clubs at the next full rugby league Council meeting such that the central funding each club outside super league gets in 2015 is based on what the final championship table would have been in 2014 IF BATLEY AND DONCASTER HAD BEEN DEDUCTED THE 3 points each.

That will mean nothing if we are down.

It would.

I don't know the exact figures. But say in 2015 you get £225,000 if you finish third and only £175,000 if you finish 5th. If Doncaster actually finish third but with 3 points deducted they would have finished 5th then they only get the £175,000 .

Likewise, let's say League 1 clubs in 2015 get £50,000 each but if you finish 9th in the Championship this year you get £125,000. Then, if Cougars get relegated and Batley finish 9th and stay up, but, if Batley had had the3 points deducted they would have been relegated with Cougars finishing 9th, then under above proposal Cougars get £125,000 next season and Batley only £50,000. Some consolation should Cougars actually go down.

But if we had played better and won the games we should have
We wouldn't be in this situation.
We can all theorise all we want at the end of the day it boils down
To the fact that if we are relegated it is because we were not good enough.
Sad but true

IF Cougars are relegated, it will be as a consequence of a Batley win in which an ineligible Super League player played and scored for them.

End of day it's been lot more competitive this season all teams will say what if. Should we go down re build and come back stronger. True fans will be there no matter what ☺☺

We must not forget the fact Batley etcetera have broken the rules and as far as I'm aware remain unpunished. I've heard various excuses regarding part time staff and ignorance of the rules. The bottom line is dewsbury managed not to break the rules by calling the RFL and asking them if their player was eligible. Batley didn't bother or played him anyway.

We have been good enough to stay up under normal circumstances. five go down this year which is an exception. In my opinion we have a playoff fringe quality squad and that's where we are. Id be happy with that next year. We lose half our games because our squad clearly is weak in certain departments and possibly our coaching for certain games.

My problem currently is our teams attitude has changed since hearing of the 3 point deduction. Batleys has changed now they have them back, momentum is with them. Essentially the whole thing is a complete mess and I would expect most Batley fans would agree they deserve a 3 point deduction, some won't care what we think and fair enough.

I agree, as much as people feel aggrieved by the decision, we must move on and meet the challenge head on. If we are relegated it is because over the season we were not good enough. I'm comfortable saying that because I know we haven't been. Forget Batley, if they stay up it's because they amassed more points and over the season arguably played better. The league table does not lie. Whilst I feel rule breaking needs to be punished, how can we say that a certain player made a team win. He may have scored, but if he hadn't played would there have been a player in a similar position of the field who could also have put the ball over the whitewash. If we get relegated it's our fault, nobody else's. TAXI for me!

I totally agree, we need to come away from this "Batley and Doncaster cheats!" if we go down it's our own fault but questions do need to be asked as to why we are in this position and that has nothing to do with the RL, Batley or Doncaster. Again, why was March given a new contract mid season? Why has the team under performed ... the team's good enough for a top four finish and look where we are!

And stuff the taxi, walkings good for you.

Great and fair post for what it's worth I think we should have 3 points deducted
However your right we are now playing with a stronger belief and with Ben Black in the side we are playing well
I hope you survive come 5 pm Sunday but hope we do too unfortunately that means Haven down
Good Luck

You really think they are good enough for a top 4 finish ??

I hate going to Haven as its always poor, however, on the basis Batley cheated and got away with it then i hope they go down..

People keep saying Batley would still have won at Sheffield, how do they know? I call bull and no one can prove it. One thing is for sure if you stay up you will always be cheats who got away with it.

On paper they should be top 4, on the field I would say they are capable of top 6 imo.

Shame it's not materialised