Barrow hit with 29-point penalty

BARROW Raiders have been deducted 29 points after being found guilty of breaking rules over payments to players, the Championship club have revealed.

The Cumbrian outfit appeared before a Rugby Football League tribunal in Leeds last night charged with misconduct and a series of breaches of operational rules.

The points deduction will mean automatic relegation to Championship One — they will join Oldham RL — and a reprieve for Dewsbury.

Barrow chairman Des Johnston has been banned from involvement in rugby league for eight years.

A club statement said: “Both the club and Mr Johnston have taken further legal advice and been advised to make no comment until the written adjudication has been considered.”

The breaches span a four–year period up to 2011 and emerged during a formal RFL investigation over the last two months. The investigation included recent allegations made by former player Ned Catic, principally against Johnston.