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Rugby League

Trio charged with salary cap breach

06/07/2007

The Super League has charged three teams – St Helens, Bradford Bulls and Wigan Warriors – with breaching the salary cap last season.

All three sides are in the top four of the competition but, if they are found to have a case to answer, all could be docked points and face a battle to make the end-of-season play-offs, or even avoid relegation.

The Super League has confirmed the three clubs facing charges, saying that all will be required to attend an independent tribunal hearing for allegedly going above the £1.7 million maximum spend on wages.

Bradford and St Helens will be hauled up in front of the panel on Thursday July 12th while Wigan will have to wait until Monday July 16th to discover their fate.

The issue brings the salary cap process adopted by the Super League under the microscope once again after controversial circumstances secured Wigan's survival last season.

Having been mired in a relegation scrap all year, the rugby league giants signed Great Britain star Stuart Fielden for a record £450,000, which ultimately led to their survival and the relegation of Castleford.

But under current rules clubs cannot be retroactively punished and any breach of rules will induce a penalty this season, rather than a reinstatement for Castleford.

The system will be changed from next season onwards to make the salary cap punishment 'live' so that teams will be subject to disciplinary proceedings in the same season they break the rules.

Wigan, St Helens and Bradford have all been found guilty of similar offences in the Super League before.

The Warriors and the Bulls both overspent in 2005 while St Helens were docked points in 2003 for breaching the cap.

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