Super League leaders Leeds fined by RFL

Super League leaders Leeds have been fined £2,000 by the Rugby Football League for breaching its operational rules on player transfers and registrations.

The punishment follows an investigation into six players who were transferred to Championship clubs at the start of the season on 12-month deals but maintained links with the Rhinos, with a view to returning to the Super League club next season.

Jordan Baldwinson, Alex Foster, Thomas Minns and Mason Tonks, who all joined Featherstone, and James Duckworth and Luke Briscoe, who went to Hunslet, played for their new clubs in the Championship.

They are thought to have returned to Leeds for regular monitoring and checks, which happens when players go out on loan or dual registration.

An RFL statement read: "Leeds were deemed to be guilty of breaching operational rule C1:1:6 which states that 'a club shall not allow a player to take part in any club training or conditioning programme or to play for it in a match, unless: (a) that player is on its club register or unless the club is party to a dual-registration agreement with the club with whom the player is registered and (b) all other applicable tests including, but limited to, any baseline test has been completed'."

Half the fine is suspended until the end of the 2015 season and Leeds were also told the RFL reserves the right to attend the club's training sessions to ensure only registered Leeds players are training.

Both Featherstone and Hunslet were cleared by the investigation of any wrong-doing.