Cougars player-coach Paul March has been hit with a two-month stadium ban for verbally abusing match officials.

An RFL operational rule tribunal has imposed the punishment, which prohibits March from entering any venue in which his Keighley side are playing until July 8.

The sanction was handed down after he was found guilty of improper conduct and breaching the game’s respect policy.

This followed comments made to the match referee at the end of the Cougars’ match against Leigh Centurions on March 9.

The offence took place while March, who pleaded not guilty, was serving a four-match suspension as a player for questioning the integrity of a match official following a Championship fixture against Doncaster in February.