Wakefield Trinity awarded a 48-0 win for cancelled Salford match
Wakefield Trinity have been awarded a 48-0 win for the Salford Red Devils game that was cancelled this month.
Trinity’s rivals for a Super League place Hull had beaten a weakened Salford side 80-6 the week before the cancelled match, but the RFL’s decision to award the game to Daryl Powell’s men rather than try to fit it in to be played at a later date will be welcomed at Belle Vue.
It is also in line with the league’s policy of dishing out 48-0 wins for unfulfilled fixtures with previous precedents.
A statement on the decision has been published by Trinity, which read: ”Following the cancellation of the round 22 Betfred Super League fixture between Salford Red Devils and Wakefield Trinity, which was scheduled for Sunday August 17, the RFL Board have ruled that the match should be awarded to Wakefield Trinity with a scoreline of 48-0.
"This is in line with Operational Rule B1:23, and taking into account the circumstances behind Salford’s cancellation of the fixture and the advanced stage of the Betfred Super League season.”
The game was called off due to player welfare concerns with Salford reportedly only able to field two players with Super League experience. The rest of their side would have had to be made up of academy players.
Salford's ongoing financial turmoil has resulted in major uncertainty over the club's future, with late wage payments and a steady exodus of players and they sit bottom of the table with 19 defeats in 21 Super League games.
They have said they fulfil their fixture with Leigh this week, however, and are due to host Wakefield in another game on Friday, September 19 – the final game of the regular season.
Trinity stay in seventh place despite the awarding of the points, but they are now just one point behind Hull with five matches remaining.
They have loaned a player out to Salford with outside back Neil Tchamambe going on a one-week loan.
Another Trinity player to head out is half-back Olly Russell who has joined Huddersfield Giants on loan until the end of the season, with a call back option after the first two weeks of the deal.