COUGARS chairman Gary Fawcett has been advised he has a “strong case” for a legal challenge against the RFL following the club’s relegation from the Kingstone Press Championship.

Fawcett met with leading sports lawyer Richard Cramer of Leeds-based Front Row Legal on Thursday as the Cougar Park outfit consider a legal fight with the governing body.

Cramer told Fawcett the club has three options to pursue: Sports Resolution, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, or outright litigation for damages in the High Court.  

Fawcett said: “We had a good meeting with Richard Cramer on Thursday morning and he believes we have a strong case with options regarding the way we can pursue it.  

“We are awaiting for a proposal from Front Row Legal and then we will decide on the best course of action for the club.”

Paul March’s side were condemned to the fifth and final relegation place on Sunday with a dramatic 26-24 defeat by Featherstone, who scored a last-gasp try.

Rivals Batley preserved their status courtesy of a 34-10 win over Doncaster to stay up by a solitary point.

Fawcett is adamant the decision to not punish Batley for fielding an ineligible player has led to Cougars’ relegation from the Championship.

He is questioning how the Bulldogs were effectively unpunished for breaching dual-registration rules and fielding an ineligible player during a win against Sheffield on July 27.

John Kear’s side were deducted three points by an RFL operational rules tribunal for playing Jacob Fairbank, who had failed to meet the minimum requirement of three matches on dual registration to make him eligible, with the second-row scoring a try in the 28-18 win.

But that sanction was quashed on appeal after the club had provided “fresh evidence relating to previous historical breaches of operational rules by other clubs which had not faced similar sanctions”.

Fawcett added: “I think this story will run for a while as it is fast becoming a complex one.  

“However, to simplify the story Batley Bulldogs and Doncaster Rovers were caught cheating whilst playing in the Championship, found guilty and deducted three points by the RFL disciplinary panel.

“Then nine days later acquitted by the RFL appeals panel and had their three points reinstated despite everyone – including Batley and Doncaster and the RFL – agreeing they were guilty of the offence.”

The 2014 campaign has provide traumatic for Cougars in more ways than one as player-coach March copped a two-month stadium ban for abusing a match official.

The RFL say they overturned Doncaster and Batley’s points punishment after being presented with “fresh evidence relating to previous historical breaches of Operational Rules by other clubs which had not faced similar sanctions.”

Fawcett is bitterly frustrated at the fact that while Cougars’ appeal failed, Batley and Doncaster won their points appeal at his club’s expense.

He continued: “Having been desperately disappointed at losing the appeal for Paul March I asked the RFL the question "Is it possible to provide me with the percentage of disciplinary panel decisions that have been overturned or reduced on appeal over the last 5 years?" 

“The answer I received was "it can be safely assumed that the ratio of appeals that are overturned is very low." 

“On top of this the disciplinary and appeal panels do not take past cases into account when making their decision.  This makes sense.  “Every case is unique and it would be silly to try to analyse past cases in the context of the current case.  Although this is what we seem to have done with this case?”

Fawcett is reluctant to take the matters to court but is urging the RFL to consider a “solution” that would see Cougars restored to the second tier in a potential 13-team Championship.

He said: “Litigation is the worst course of action for our sport  and it is with a heavy heart that I even consider it.  

“I have appealed to the RFL to come up with a solution that is just and equitable for all concerned including Sheffield Eagles.  

“Of course, we don't want to see Batley relegated - we like them as they're part of our rugby league family and despite it being a competition we all feel pain when the clubs we like are relegated.  

“There have been some sensible suggestions made since Sunday by people who love our game.  

“Perhaps the RFL should consider some of the solutions rather than seeing Keighley Cougars and Sheffield Eagles as problems?  We're happy to talk.”