Hull FC will not be expelled from the Carnegie Challenge Cup after the Rugby Football League decided there was no specific penalty for fielding an ineligible player.

Jamie Thackeray played in Hull’s Challenge Cup wins over Rochdale Hornets and Widnes Vikings despite signing for the club more than three weeks after the initial cup deadline.

The matter only came to light after Widnes, who lost 32-18 to the East Yorkshire club on Sunday, made an official complaint.

The RFL have ruled that result and Hull’s 42-5 win over Rochdale will stand and that the quarter-final tie with Bradford Bulls at Grattan Stadium will still take place.

An RFL statement read: “The RFL board of directors have considered the matter of the Hull FC club fielding an ineligible player in the Carnegie Challenge Cup 2008 and view it very seriously.

“However, the RFL operational rules covering this do not prescribe a specific penalty for playing an ineligible player.

“It is, however, clear that playing an ineligible player is a serious breach of the operational rules and the board has referred the matter to the RFL compliance manager to deal with under the misconduct rules.”

The RFL have also said they will undertake a review of operational rules to decide whether such an offence should lead to mandatory expulsion from the cup in the future.