Top Super League coaches support Mark Aston appeal as RFL grant major request

Mark Aston will have his appeal against his 18-month ban heard by an independent arbitration body after over a dozen coaches signed a letter of support penned by legendary coach John Kear.

Aston has been told he will be unable to hold a role in rugby league which influences team selection until April 2026 after an RFL tribunal determined he breached head injury protocol by selecting Matty Marsh in the Eagles’ Challenge Cup game against Wigan Warriors earlier this year.

Aston insists he was told on the morning of that game that Marsh was available to play but the relevant paperwork had not been signed off by the club’s doctor clearing the player – something Aston insists he was unaware of as he was not copied into the relevant email exchanges.

He and the club’s physio, Mick Heys, were handed lengthy bans – but Aston’s supporters believe he is being made an example of at a time when rugby league is facing more scrutiny than ever on head injuries. Aston almost immediately signalled his intention to appeal his suspension.

However, he initially had a request for his appeal to be heard by the independent body Sport Resolutions rejected by the RFL’s legal team – and he only has until Monday November 18 to formally lodge an appeal.

But the RFL have now relented and granted that request, after Kear sent a letter which has been seen by Love Rugby League to coaches across the sport calling on them to back Aston’s bid for an independent appeal.

That letter says: “The unprecedented 18-month ban imposed on one of our sport’s most dedicated servants – for what amounts to an administrative error in paperwork completion – raises serious questions about proportionality and natural justice. That this punishment exceeds sanctions given for violent conduct on the field only compounds our concerns.

“Most troubling is the RFL’s insistence on maintaining complete control over the appeals process, while refusing to allow independent scrutiny through Sport Resolutions – the same arbitration service trusted by virtually every other major UK sport, including the football, rugby union and tennis.

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“We respectfully ask: what message does this send about our sport’s commitment to fairness and transparency?

“Mark Aston has given 37 years of service to rugby league. His contributions extend far beyond the field, from establishing wheelchair rugby teams to creating pathways for women and girls in our sport. To end such a career over paperwork, while denying access to truly independent arbitration, does not reflect the values our sport should represent.

“We therefore call upon the RFL to allow the Mark Aston case to be heard by Sport Resolutions.”

Love Rugby League has been told that letter has been signed by over a dozen active coaches inside 24 hours – and that bracket includes at least three who are currently head coaches in Super League.

Coaches from Championship, League 1, Australia and France are also believed to have given the letter their endorsement and believe Aston has the right to a fair and independent appeal – which will now take place in the coming weeks.

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