Super League: Leeds chief Gary Hetherington fined by RFL for improper conduct
Friday 10 October 2014 18:00, UK
Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington has been fined £1,000 by the Rugby Football League after being found guilty of improper conduct.
Hetherington, 57, was charged over comments he made about the RFL's investigation into homophobic comments alleged to have been made by Leeds full-back Zak Hardaker during a Super League match against St Helens on August 29.
Hetherington, a former president of the RFL, accused the governing body of carrying out a witch-hunt against Hardaker and claimed it was using the services of a lip-reader in an attempt to prove the case.
The RFL subsequently dropped the investigation due to insufficient evidence but took Hetherington to task over his comments, arguing they were "prejudicial to the interests of the game".
An independent operational rules tribunal heard the case nine days ago and deferred a decision, but the RFL has now issued a statement revealing that the fine it imposed on Hetherington had been upheld.
"An independent operational rules tribunal has upheld the £1,000 fine imposed on Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington for questioning the motivation and integrity of an investigation into an incident in his club's First Utility Super League fixture against St Helens played on Friday August 29," the statement read.
"Mr Hetherington challenged the RFL's decision to impose the fine but the tribunal ruled that he was in breach of operational rule D1.8 (c) (improper conduct) by engaging in comments that are prejudicial to the interests of the game.
"Mr Hetherington has 14 days in which to appeal the independent tribunal's ruling."
