THE Rugby Football League were hit with a peculiar dilemma this week thanks, in part, to York Wasps.

The Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup tie at Huntington Stadium between Wasps and Villeneuve Leopards saw the visitors' Laurent Carrasco sent off for an idiotic use of the elbow on Carl Barrow.

The question thence arose, would the disciplinary process be in conjunction with the British regulations or French?

As the Challenge Cup is, of course, an English competition, should Carrasco face a disciplinary matter in England, or, as Villeneuve are affiliated to the French federation, should he go by their guidelines?

In the end, the RFL passed it onto their French counterparts to deal with and they were to come back with the result. Presumably the RFL would take it further if they find the outcome unsatisfactory.

STICKING with Villeneuve, Wasps centre Shaun Austerfield doesn't rate their chances of Super League success should they get their wish to join England's top tier.

The Wasps' Cup conquerors have expressed an interest in joining Super League, becoming the third French side to do so after Union Treiziste Catalane and Toulouse.

But Austerfield - himself a former Villeneuve star - reckons the Leopards in their current state would do little in the Northern Ford Premiership, never mind Super League.

Villeneuve, the oldest rugby league club in France and still one of the biggest, were odds-on to beat York, but were lucky to do so, as Wasps missed several good chances.

And Austerfield said: "I think they would probably be a mid-table team in the NFP, probably nearer the bottom. I don't think they were as good as us, they just took their opportunities."

STILL on the subject of last Sunday's games, it was pleasing to note the Northern Ford Premiership did not take such a hammering from Super League during the Challenge Cup clashes.

At the same stage last year, there were five cases of Super League sides putting more than 40 points past their NFP cousins, while Leeds reached triple figures against Swinton.

This year, only Swinton conceded more than 40 points, and that was to promoted Widnes. Relegated Huddersfield Giants, favourites for an immediate return to Super League, were also belittled by Doncaster, 30-10.

Elsewhere, congratulations are due to former Wasps star Alex Godfrey, who scored a hat-trick for Hull KR in their 31-24 defeat of Featherstone Rovers.

Their prize is a trip to Headingley to take on Bradford's conquerors, Leeds Rhinos, next weekend.

THANKFULLY, York Wasps have not missed out on a big money-spinning fifth-round tie.

It was feared that the draw would hand their conquerors, Villeneuve, a plum tie against Super League giants, meaning that York's failure to beat them on Sunday would have effectively cost the club a fair whack.

However, the Leopards must travel to face that aforementioned Doncaster side for a place in the sixth round, which is unlikely to attract a multi-thousand crowd and, in addition, will be no easy task.

Of course, had the Wasps won, it does not necessarily follow that they too would have been drawn away to Doncaster. But this is no place for time relativity theories.

Updated: 11:05 Saturday, February 16, 2002