Got to say that I thought John Scarrow made his point perfectly after the game. There are questions that need to be answered, specifically from the RFL end. I'd like to think theres been transparency in the entire thing, but I doubt it.

get the "scum" tomorrow probably be shouting from the rooftops how they cleaned up rugby league,

You've got to remember this is the RFL we're talking about. The RFL that comes out with e ideas like Superleague franchising at the expense of heartland clubs while non-clubs like Paris and Crusaders have £Millions thrown at them only to fail.
The same RFL that banned Jamie Bloem for 2 years for using a banned substance whilst allowing two Bradford players (names escape me) to walk away having refused drugs tests.
Now Leaf is (alledgedly) given 18 months while Long and Gleeson were given 6 months (I think) for exactly the same offence.
The RFL is the most morally corrupt governing body in sport, they hit the smaller clubs whilst letting the big boys get away with whatever, and its about time these descrepancies in punishments for rule breaches were brought to the fore.
I could quite easily walk away from the game at the moment.

Don't walk away, Gargoyle. I understand how you feel.

We might not like a government but we don't leave the country.

We all need to be strong together for the good of the Dons and Shaun. The game of rugby league and the Dons are well worth being involved with, even if the RFL are off our Christmas card list.

We all need to stick together and be strong.

Long got 3 months, Gleeson 4 months. Gleeson's ban was longer on the basis that he played in the game in question.

Mark Cass subsequently got a 12 month ban whilst on the Coaching staff at Oldham (again for placing bets).

We need to FULLY understand what Shaun was charged and found guilty of because short of the RFL simply imposing bigger bans each time, in this case the punishment seems (on what we know) to be harsh and disproportionate.

Shaun has been incredibly loyal to the Dons through some lean times and now it's our turn to show our support and repay that loyalty.

If you walk away they win, and nobody wants them buggers winning.

The collection bucket at yesterday's game raised just over £86 pounds, we will be having the bucket collection again at the Workington game and hope to speak to Shaun about sending him the fans kind gesture in helping him pay his fine.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

For the life of me, I simply can't understand why there has been no Official Announcement.

The Mick Govin 'drug' ban (for example) has been widely reported.

John Scarrow made reference on Sunday that the RFL stated it would be around two weeks before it became public news.

Suppose it may also depend on when the Scum newspaper has got a spare slot in the paper to fill in and also to fit in with the RFL. (my comment)

[url=http://www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/article.php?id=23259[size=135Full verdict information here[/size[/url

Source : Dons Official Website

It's on the RFL website as well; www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/23 ... ned-for-18

It's on the RFL website as well; www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/23 ... ned-for-18

Not to sure what to make of the verdict , guilty to betting in at least 4 matches . Shaun has been very stupid .

.The things he has been found not guilty of seem to confirm 18 months is harsh.

One of my all time favourite Dons players since I started watching in the early 90's , gave 100% & was always approachable .

Not sure if he will come back to the Dons or any other club. This is a personal opinion !

But was it eighteen month's worth of stupidity?

I donot know.

www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl- ... 6102466858 NRL players haven't been deterred from punting on games by last year's betting scandal, according to the results of a confidential poll. Rugby League Week's annual players' poll found almost one in five players knows of other players who have bet on a game. =#BF0000Wonder what the results would be if a survey was done in uk.

www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl- ... 6102466858 NRL players haven't been deterred from punting on games by last year's betting scandal, according to the results of a confidential poll. Rugby League Week's annual players' poll found almost one in five players knows of other players who have bet on a game. =#BF0000Wonder what the results would be if a survey was done in uk.

In 2006 Workington player Weldon Saayman was banned for 12 months and fined £750 for betting on RL games. He did not play in any of the games he bet on, nor did they involve his own team. On the basis that Leaf has placed bets on games he played in and could influence then 18 months ban seems entirely reasonable in comparison to Saayman's ban.

Are you sure?

From memory, he was not placing large bets on specific single games but putting on fixed odds handicap coupons where he needed 3 or 4 results to go his way to win anything.

Quote ="Derwent"From memory, he was not placing large bets on specific single games but putting on fixed odds handicap coupons where he needed 3 or 4 results to go his way to win anything.'" Quote Saayman is now back in action for Town after serving a ban for betting on one of the club’s games. The 12-month ban, later reduced to seven months, was imposed last September after he was being found guilty at a hearing of the Rugby Football League’s judiciary panel in Leeds.'" Also... www.cumbrialife.co.uk/banned-saa ... Path=2.927 Quote "The player was advised of the hearing date but failed to attend. He was found to be in breach of rule D10 (c) which prohibits anybody covered by the operational rules of the game from betting on the outcome of Rugby League fixtures. "An investigation was carried out after complaints were received regarding the involvement of a Workington Town player in betting activity concerning the outcome of a rugby league game in which the Workington Town club was involved."'" So, one player fails to attend any hearing, and gets 12 months... Another one attends the hearing, offers every bit of help available, and gets 18...

Quote ="Derwent"From memory, he was not placing large bets on specific single games but putting on fixed odds handicap coupons where he needed 3 or 4 results to go his way to win anything.'" Quote Saayman is now back in action for Town after serving a ban for betting on one of the club’s games. The 12-month ban, later reduced to seven months, was imposed last September after he was being found guilty at a hearing of the Rugby Football League’s judiciary panel in Leeds.'" Also... www.cumbrialife.co.uk/banned-saa ... Path=2.927 Quote "The player was advised of the hearing date but failed to attend. He was found to be in breach of rule D10 (c) which prohibits anybody covered by the operational rules of the game from betting on the outcome of Rugby League fixtures. "An investigation was carried out after complaints were received regarding the involvement of a Workington Town player in betting activity concerning the outcome of a rugby league game in which the Workington Town club was involved."'" So, one player fails to attend any hearing, and gets 12 months... Another one attends the hearing, offers every bit of help available, and gets 18...

[url=http://www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/article.php?id=5646[size=140A Statement from Shaun[/size[/url

Source: Dons Offical Website.

The difference being one did not play in any of the games he placed bets on and the other did. The loyalty of Donny fans to your player is commendable, but its straying into the boundaries of condoning his actions.

we are necessarily condoning what saun did but he stuck with us when most other players decamped and for that loyalty we as supporters want to thank him and remain loyal to him,we will forgive players most things so long as they give 100% as leafy always did,thanks saun,

It's not condoning Shaun Leaf's actions it's asking for a bit of consistency from the RFL. Was the Worky player hard done to also when taking into consideration the bans that Long and Gleeson received bearing in mind that their profiles as SLE players are/were a million times what Leaf's and the Worky players are? A 12 month ban would have been more than ample. Did the Worky player get a reduction to seven months even though he failed to appear at his own hearing?

I don't think anyone is condoning what Shaun has done but the vast majority of us believe that 18 months is harsh. However, if that is the ban handed down by the RFL then we'll probably all have to accept it and move on.

What you seem to be misconstruing as 'condoning his actions' is us showing some compassion and loyalty to a player who has stuck with our Club during some very hard times (including Administration) when there were offers which would have allowed him to move on.

[size=120We all make mistakes.[/size In terms of Shaun's RL career this is a big one. But for us supporters, it will not be allowed to wipe out all the positive stuff which Shaun has done during his time with the Dons.

[size=120Shaun has over the years earned our loyalty ... now would not be the time to repay that by turning our backs on him.[/size

A great statement from Shaun on the Dons' website.

We all know he did wrong; we perhaps feel the punishment doesn't fit the crime, but we're not condoning what he did.

Thanks for sticking by the club in the past Shaun. The fans will stick by you, and we'll look forward to seeing you in a Dons' shirt in the future.