Disciplinary minutes reveal why Hull FC’s Luke Gale faces two separate bans

Hull FC were hit with the news that Luke Gale could be out for as many as eight matches following two separate charges in the Black and Whites’ defeat to St Helens on Saturday afternoon.

The game, broadcast live on Channel 4, kicked off at 12.30pm and was met with a horrific weather deluge as both teams tried their best to play expansive rugby.

Unfortunately, Gale as Hull’s captain was sent off in the 32nd minute for high studs on Saints’ Jonny Lomax.

That charge sees the halfback given a Grade D charge: “Behaves in any way contrary to the true spirit of the game (includes Dangerous Contact) – Other contrary behaviour Grade D.”

A Grade D charge can give anywhere between three and five-match bans.

If that charge wasn’t hefty enough, Gale was also cited as lifting the injured player – Lomax – in the action of the latter getting treatment.

That yielded a Grade C charge: “Behaves in any way contrary to the true spirit of the game (includes Dangerous Contact) – Other contrary behaviour Grade C.”

It’s a massive blow for Hull considering their injury list, with the likes of Carlos Tuimavave, Scott Taylor and Kane Evans still needing to recover from problems suffered earlier in the year.