Sheffield Eagles stalwart Mark Aston hits back at RFL over 'aggressive' ban fight

Aston, who was banned for breaching player welfare rules after Sheffield selected Matty Marsh without the necessary medical clearance following a concussion, has now hit back, accusing the governing body of frustrating his efforts to challenge the suspension.

The former Eagles head coach said the escalating legal fees – including over £40,000 for a barrister – ultimately forced him to withdraw, describing the financial burden as unsustainable and revealing he has put his house up for sale to cover the costs.

"Following today's statement by the Rugby Football League, I would like to take the time out to explain why I made the difficult decision to end my appeal against the 18-month suspension imposed," read a statement released by Aston on Tuesday evening.

"Throughout this process, the RFL has aggressively fought to undermine my case, including getting a crucial witness affidavit thrown out ahead of this appeal being heard. This affidavit undermined their entire case against my conviction. Their determination to pursue this matter with such vigour against an individual coach, at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds, raises serious questions about proportionality and a total disregard for the perilous state of the sport's financial situation.

"But in my own personal position, the costs involved had become a major financial burden, after spending around two years of my salary in legal costs. With all the factors involved, I was left with no other choice but to protect my family home and our future, something that was becoming increasingly difficult to do as costs continued to rise. I have had to put my house up for sale to cover the costs of this process.

"Despite Sport Resolutions agreeing to hear my case independently – something the RFL fervently resisted – the mounting legal expenses have reached a point where I had to make a responsible decision. Taking the matter to Sport Resolutions alone came at a financial cost of £5,000, and as you can imagine, that just scratches the surface. Just to go to the one-day hearing, the barrister's costs were over £40,000. We had previously engaged with the RFL for over a month, pre-hearing, to get to a resolution, but it was to no avail. It simply became too much."

Aston also welcomed a separate ruling from Sport Resolutions, which he says vindicated his conduct during the process and eased the financial pressure.

"Thankfully, on Monday, I received good news that Sport Resolutions found in my favour in relation to costs on this matter," added Aston, who is suspended from coaching or holding any senior position in rugby league until April 30, 2026.

"The Rugby Football League has been actively pursuing all costs against me in relation to this matter, but Sport Resolutions found in my favour that we acted in a proper manner to resolve this and that we were actively involved in discussions with the RFL, despite their claim that we weren't.

"In the RFL's statement, they said they were disappointed in my conduct throughout this process, but I would certainly say the same about them and I'm glad Sport Resolutions recognised that I conducted myself in the appropriate manner.

"I truly appreciate the tremendous support I've received from Eagles fans and the wider rugby league community. Their belief in me has been a great solace and source of strength during this extremely challenging time. I would also like to sincerely thank my close family and friends who have supported me throughout this painful episode."