St Helens handed salary cap fine

St Helens have been fined the amount they breached the salary cap

St Helens have been fined £8,456 after being found guilty of a minor salary cap breach during the 2007 season.

But for the first time in two years no clubs have been summoned before the Rugby Football League's Operational Rules Tribunal for a serious violation.

Saints' fine is equal to the sum by which they breached the finite salary cap limit of £1.6m.

National League One side Leigh Centurions have also been fined £5,000 following a minor misconduct.

They broke the 50% rule, which prohibits a club from spending more than half of their income on players salaries.

606: DEBATE What do you make of the salary cap breach?

Leigh could possibly have avoided a fine had they applied to the RFL for a dispensation to work on an Agreed Salary Cap.

This is the last retrospective audit for Super League clubs, with finances now monitored by a 'live' system introduced at the start of the current season.

"The new system we implemented this year is more proactive," said RFL's Compliance Manager Karen Moorhouse.

"A club's expenditure is continuously monitored throughout the season, which should prevent some accidental breaches that have occurred in the past.

"Although retrospective in nature, we do encourage all clubs in the National League in advance of the season to work to an Agreed Salary Cap.

The miniscule breach of the 2007 cap is based on a simple historical formula calculation error St Helens spokesman

"This protects a club from breaching the '50% Rule' should their expected income fall."

Meanwhile, a Saints spokesman revealed that the club's fine was related to a "calculation error".

"We have always welcomed the introduction of the salary cap and are pleased to see that its objective of creating a more competitive Super League across all member clubs is coming into place," said the spokesman.

"The miniscule breach of the 2007 cap is based on a simple historical formula calculation error which was in place before the start of the 2007 season.

"This has now, under the current administration, been rectified.

"This calculation error meant that unfortunately the club did not qualify for the deductible allowances for under-21 players."