Tribunal rules Warriors must pay £2,000 after Widnes fixture fiasco

After the game, scheduled to be played at the DW on Friday February 24, Wigan opted to have the matter referred to an independent Operational Rules Tribunal.

The Warriors cancelled the original fixture, in the wake of Storm Doris, stating the pitch could not cope with two games at the weekend – as Wigan Athletic were due to play Nottingham Forest the following day.

Widnes offered to host the game instead and the fixture, which Shaun Wane’s men won 28-26, went ahead.

A statement from the RFL last night read: “The independent Operational Rules Tribunal determined that Wigan Warriors breached certain Operational Rules, together with certain provisions of the Super League Code of Conduct.

“However the tribunal considered the majority of these breaches to be technical in nature and therefore under the circumstances and given the measures that the club took, it determined that a fine was not appropriate and that a reprimand was the correct sanction, whilst also ordering Wigan to pay £2,000 in RFL costs.”

The RFL has also set up a working party to discuss the scheduling of fixtures at clubs who share their stadium with another team.

The RFL and Warriors have 14 days from the date of the written decision to appeal.