Salford owner Marwan Koukash has succeeded in his bid to have his club's appeal against their points deduction heard by an independent body.
The Red Devils' appeal against the six points docked for allegedly breaching the Super League salary cap would normally go before an independent tribunal appointed by the Rugby Football League but the governing body has acceded to Koukash's request to refer the matter to the London-based Sport Resolutions (UK).
It is a first for rugby league, with Koukash making use of a change in the RFL operational rules introduced this year.
An RFL spokesman said: "It is one of a raft of new provisions that were brought up in 2015 and introduced into the operational rules this year."
Sport Resolutions was established in 1997 in the wake of Dianne Modahl's dispute with the British Athletics Federation over a failed drugs test which resulted in her going bankrupt.
No date has yet been set but Koukash told Press Association Sport that the appeal must be heard before July 24 which is the last round of Super League before the split for the Super 8s.
"I'm delighted with the news," Koukash said. "I believe it is in the best interests of the sport for the appeal to be heard independently.
"We contacted Sport Resolutions recently and they said they would be willing to help by hearing the appeal but it was always going to be subject to the RFL agreeing to it. We can now move forward with fixing a date and venue."
Salford were fined STG5,000 ($A10,000) and docked six points on April 25 after being found guilty by an independent tribunal chaired by His Honour Judge Peter Charlesworth of breaching the STG1.825 million ($A3.72 million) salary cap in 2014.
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