Having failed, miserably, to deal with Hull FC's blatant breach of Challenge Cup rules by fielding the ineligible Jamie Thackray in not one but two rounds of the competition, it rather looks like it has decided to even matters up for this weekend's final at Wembley.

How so?

Well, the appointment of Steve Ganson as match official for one of the game's two major showpieces is not, in itself, a shock. But eyebrows were certainly raised because the official hails from St Helens – Saturday's opponents for the Black and Whites.

However, given its track record I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that the RFL appears to actively court controversy. It could have given Keighley's Ashley Klein the game and no-one would have batted an eyelid, though officials at Red Hall will no doubt insist that Gamson is this country's top whistler.

But, with the World Cup just a few months away, wouldn't it have been even better to simply put a foreign referee in the middle in north London? No arguments, no mutterings of bias and no comebacks.

But, hey, that's not the way the RFL does things is it?

Hull should have been expelled – and would have been in most other sports – from the Carnegie-sponsored Challenge Cup when the Thackray issue first came to light.

The men from the KC Stadium had beaten Rochdale and Widnes when it was pointed out that the prop forward, who only rejoined after being released by Leeds Rhinos on March 27, had signed after the registration deadline.

Rather than make an example of them the RFL decided to turn the other cheek and allow them to face Bradford Bulls in the quarter-finals while warning Hull they faced a heavy financial penalty.

That turned out to be a record-breaking £100,000 fine, though £40,000 of it was suspended for 12 months.

The previous heaviest fines dished out were £50,000 to Wigan two years ago, for a breach of the salary cap, and to Hull in 2000 when their fans rioted after the Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Leeds at Huddersfield.

But, given the fact Hull have since dispatched Bradford and then Wakefield Trinity Wildcats to book a place in the final, surely the club from the East Riding will make more money out of the competition than their administrative error cost them?

Oh well, all's fair in love and rugby league. Actually, no, it's a farce and the RFL's dilly-dallying has brought a great competition and a terrific sport into disrepute. Imagine, one of the game's two major competitions could be won by a team that shouldn't even be there! You couldn't make it up.

Fortunately for the RFL, the chances of Richard Agar's side upsetting the red-hot favourites St Helens in front of a global TV audience of millions look slim.

Hull have been off form for much of a hugely disappointing engage Super League season, largely as a result of long-term injuries to key personnel and that problem shows no signs of relenting.