I would hope the following would be taken into consideration.

Gateshead only got 6. (Relegation was not a punishment but their request)
We offerred to pay the debt, but Inland Revenue forced the issue.
Also, Would a 9 point deduction be proportionate in a 20 game season and in the interests of stability of the game?

Maybe I'm asking too much.

I don't think we can realistically expect any sympathy from the RFL. Keighley isn't a big club, it isn't an expansion area, and we could conceivably deny a welsh/geordie/french/whatever side a spot in the championship. I think they'd be only too happy to stick the knife in.
If we are to avoid near-automatic relegation, we'll be doing it in spite of the RFL, and it's going to take a massive effort from the team, the staff and all the supporters to stay up.
Can we do it???

Don't blame the RFL, blame the club.

I'm not blaming the RFL, I just wonder if this had happened to clubs in expansion areas, would they be dealt with in exactly the same way? Maybe they would, I don't know...
But I think we've given them a good opportunity to stick the knife into exactly the kind of club they want shot of; little northern towns in lower leagues, getting in the way of a giant, nationwide superleague fanbase.

Another week of deafening silence............

Why do we allow the people who run OUR game to treat us so disrespectfully?