Last updated at 14:27, Sunday, 19 August 2012

THESE are turbulent times at Rochdale, with their coach banned from rugby league, five players facing RFL charges over a mass brawl and their promotion hopes dead in the water.

WELCOME BOOST: Rochdale Hornets player Steve McDermott is due to return to action tomorrow GARY COYLE/RLPHOTOS.COM

Boss John Stankevitch is under an indefinite ban from the RFL after refusing to pay a fine levied on him by two tribunals earlier this year for allegedly abusing a match official.

The former Widnes coach denies the charges and plans on taking the governing body to the European Court of Human Rights over the ban.

It all stems from an incident in Hornets’ Northern Rail Cup match against Keighley in February, though Stankevitch has always denied the charges, saying: “I’m fully prepared to go toe-to-toe with them (the RFL).

“I’m absolutely disgusted by it. The statement they have put out is massively damaging to my character, putting a real black stain on it.”

The RFL for their part have stood by their original verdict, saying: “Stankevitch was deemed to have committed blatant and deliberate misconduct in his wilful disregard for RFL Operational Rules in his failure to pay fines imposed by two earlier RFL tribunals.

“The penalty will remain in force until full payment of the fines due is made.”

On the pitch, a quintet of Hornets players are facing bans after last Sunday’s 42-12 win over South Wales Scorpions resulted in no fewer than five red cards.

Gary Middlehurst and Phil Braddish were dismissed at the end of the first half for the Spotland side, the former having sparked a mass brawl on the stroke of half-time by throwing a punch.

Both will be available for tomorrow’s visit of Barrow, but Middlehurst and Braddish both face Grade C fighting charges, which could see them banned for at least the last game of the season.

Chris Hough – who has taken interim charge of Rochdale during Stankevitch’s absence – has been charged with the same offence, while Steve Bannister and Dayne Donaghue have been charged with Grade B fighting offences from the same incident, when former Raider Nathan Mossop was among those sent-off for South Wales.

It was a sour-tasting end to the week for fifth-placed Rochdale Hornets, who can no longer be promoted following Whitehaven’s sealing up of the final top-four spot.

In better news, they could be boosted by the return of Steve McDermott and Tony Stewart tomorrow – in a game that will go ahead after worries earlier in the week about the state of their rugby posts.

Dave Newton and Chris Baines are also believed to be pushing for inclusion, but Bannister is struggling with a rib injury and Danny Ekis is unavailable due to personal commitments.

First published at 13:15, Sunday, 19 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk