I agree with the decision. You can't expect a team to get a third more interchanges than there opponent. Plus if you look at the game itself, Wigan came back from 12 - 0 down to win. You have to ask yourself could they have done that without the extra interchanges. Don't get me wrong, I'm Wigan through and through but rules are rules and how would Warrington feel if the RFL said you can play the grand final and we'll deduct 4pts off next season!
Plus a win now would feel hollow.

So no one can actually tell me a time, across any sport, when this has happened before.

Final still on Sunday

I know. I was responding to the poster who said that the SF should be replayed. I was saying that it can't be because of the knock on effect

Apparently there is no interchange official at Academy level so this one is 100% on Wigan.

Plenty of football teams have been thrown out of competitions for fielding an ineligible player. Spain got deducted points and missed out on qualification for fielding an ineligible player in the Rugby Union World Cup qualifying campaign. Very similar circumstances.

Sounds like a first then so the decision from the rfl has now set a precedent.
Absolutely no excuses. Non. Zero. Zilch.
I feel sorry for the young lads and I expect a full and open statement from the club next week. I will be amazed if Radlinski and/or Peet don’t put out a full statement in due course. We sort tonight out first then the club addresses the shambles from the academy SF.
I also expect, but suspect it won’t happen, a statement from the rfl next on how they propose to ensure that this won’t occur again.

So sad for those lads who have worked so hard. Can't disagree with the disqualification. If it's been just one extra change, maybe just a fine, but four is ridiculous.

Just found out more about it. Not trying to defend Wigan by any means but it seems that for regular season games there are unlimited subs. Its not like SL whereby if a player is injured they'll carry on playing after being strapped up. At Academy level any sign of an injury and they are subbed straight away. Given that this has been the norm over the season, Wigan have carried on in this way.

Both sides were told that given it was a SF there would only be 8 interchanges but it seems like somewhere in the middle of it all, this has been ignored.

Apparently Warrington didn't make an official complaint as such, they just referenced the fact that for future knockout games there should be interchange officials available. Its then snowballed from there and as soon as a Board meeting was called there was only ever going to be one outcome and a precedent set.

Thanks for update Stu.
Brings a lot more clarity but unfortunately the oversight still remains with us.
Not sure why a SF should trigger a change particularly when the unlimited subs presumably is for young players welfare.