Wigan face probe after late call-off
WIGAN WARRIORS are facing an investigation by the Rugby Football League after postponing last night’s home match against Widnes.
The newly crowned World Club champions were due to play their second Super League game of the season.
But with relegationthreatened co-tenants Wigan Athletic scheduled to host Nottingham Forest today, the Warriors’ match against Widnes was called off on Thursday.
The playing surface at the DW Stadium was used for the world final against Cronulla Sharks last Sunday and deteriorated further after the heavy rains swept in by Storm Doris.
But the decision to postpone was made without consultation with Widnes or the RFL.
The RFL spoke to the clubs on Thursday night to underline that they were responsible for the rescheduling of the match and the decision was taken yesterday that the game would go ahead after all but be played at Widnes’s Select Security Stadium.
The late reversal of the fixture saw reduced ticket prices for fans and Wigan also paid Widnes compensation for the switch.
The RFL said in a statement: “The Rugby Football League can confirm it will investigate the circumstances surrounding the postponement of the game by Wigan Warriors and any potential breach of the Rugby Football League operational rules.”
Widnes chief executive James Rule revealed he initially considered the prospect of demanding that Wigan forfeit the two points to the Vikings had the game not been played.
Rule said: “The RFL confirmed that any immediate rescheduling of this fixture could only be decided between the two clubs and conversations therefore continued throughout Friday morning.
“One option was to seek a rescheduling of this fixture at a later stage of the season.
“In our opinion, that was not tenable in light of the challenges of having the Easter weekend fixtures and a second short turnaround weekend for the mid-season international. “To then try to accommodate another week with three games would be foolhardy from both a performance and a player welfare point of view. That left us with two options: to leave the matter in the hands of the RFL Board and pursue our club being awarded the two points, as a consequence of potential misconduct and breach of operational rules by Wigan Warriors.
“However, with an independent RFL Board, there is no guarantee that such an outcome would be achieved, which would leave us back in the starting position of having to accommodate a rescheduled fixture.”
Toronto Wolfpack, the Canadian team allowed to compete in the British game by the RFL, will play their first competitive fixture this afternoon in a Challenge Cup third-round tie at Halifax-based amateurs Siddal.