Maesteg secretary Lee Wanklyn reckons the club’s 20-point penalty from the WRU “could not have come at a better time” with no threat of relegation this season.
Welsh rugby’s governing body handed the punishment to Division Two West’s bottom club after they broke league rules by postponing three matches earlier this term and fielded ineligible players.
In any other season, it would have meant certain relegation but, due to the restructuring of the leagues at the end of the current campaign, no sides will go down.
Wanklyn, whose club are now on -19 points, 29 adrift at the foot of the table, is hopeful that Maesteg can regroup and build a squad which will be able to compete next season.
“Because of the restructuring of the Welsh club system, there will be no relegation or promotion,” he said. “In that sense it could not have come at a better time.
“This season will now be all about rebuilding for next season and the future beyond that.
“Hopefully we have turned a corner and we can get a team out for every other fixture this season.”
The Old Parish were deducted eight points for using unregistered players and four each for the postponed matches against Skewen, Aberavon Quins and Glynneath when they couldn’t raise a team.
Despite being rock bottom of Division Two West, Richard Webster’s men have shown signs things could be on the up. Though they have lost all 10 league fixtures so far, they did beat Division Three South West outfit Taibach in the Swalec Plate.
And after several humiliating results early on in the season, their league form has improved. They lost 8-6 at Felinfoel and gave Glynneath a scare before the league leaders won 23-7. This Saturday, the Old Parish host Builth Wells.
By David Williams
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