Halifax head coach Matt Calland has insisted their Challenge Cup expulsion was not his fault.
Coach suspended pending internal inquiry
Halifax head coach Matt Calland has insisted their Challenge Cup expulsion was not his fault, after he was suspended by the club after fielding an ineligible player.
Playing prop forward Michael Ostick against Swinton, after he had previously played for Rochdale in the competition, cost the team a place in the Challenge Cup.
The blunder could also bring about a hefty fine from the Rugby Football League, and Halifax seem to lay the blame firmly at the coach's door.
The Championship club, who have aspirations to rejoin Super League in 2012, pointed the finger of blame squarely at Calland, suspending him with immediate effect pending the outcome of an internal inquiry.
In a statement, the club said: "Halifax RLFC have announced that as a direct consequence of their disqualification from the Carnegie Challenge Cup, their head coach Matt Calland has been suspended pending the outcome of an internal inquiry."
Promoted
Calland joined Halifax as assistant coach in June 2006 and was promoted to head coach four months later when Martin Hall was made director of football.
The former Featherstone, Rochdale and Bradford centre has immediately reacted to the news and vowed to defend himself against the allegations.
"I am devastated by today's news and I am going to defend myself vigorously," he said.
Calland is expected to argue that failure to detect the ineligibility of prop forward Ostick was an administrative error and not part of his coaching duties.
The move is more unwanted attention for Halifax, who are determined to make it into Super League by 2012 but will not be helped by the farcical scenes at the Shay this week.
Halifax must now appoint a caretaker coach for Sunday's Championship clash with Barrow at the Shay and wait for the dust to settle on one of the most embarrassing episodes in the club's recent history.
