PROMOTION rivals Blackpool Panthers may have got off lightly with a ten-point deduction, according to York City Knights general manager Ian Wilson.

The Panthers were found guilty of a series of breaches of registration and salary cap rules by a Rugby Football League tribunal, as reported in The Press yesterday.

The ten-point penalty saw them drop to fifth and Knights move up to third place, handing the Huntington Stadium side the chance of an easier route through the Championship One play-offs.

Wilson said: “You don’t like to see other clubs in adversity, but they have brought it on themselves.

“Some might argue ‘is ten points enough?’ as it involved more than ten players who have helped them accumulate points this season.

“Some might say it is lenient because they could still finish in third, depending on results. In Australia, Melbourne Storm lost all their points for salary cap breaches.”

Storm were docked all of their points for 2010 – and stripped of their 2007 and 2009 NRL titles – for breaches of the salary cap covering five seasons in Australia.

The Panthers’ breaches related to the contracts of 12 players and were discovered following an investigation by the RFL’s compliance manager.

If the Knights can cling on to third place, they would travel to the second-placed finishers in the first round of the play-offs. Should they lose that game, most likely to be against Oldham, they would have a second chance at Huntington Stadium to reach the Grand Final.

Wilson said: “It’s good news for us because we go up to third, and if we can stay there it will give us a good chance in the play-offs.

“We will probably have to win all our games to finish third, but at least it is back in our hands, which is an important thing.”