Disciplinary Review chief Paul Cullen explains all on James Bentley and Bureta Faraimo bans

The Sin Bin returned tonight with Disciplinary Review Panel chief Paul Cullen explaining some of the major decisions over the start of the Super League season.

A number of decisions have caused controversy with the likes of Luke Gale and James Bentley gaining publicity for the lengthy bans they have been handed.

On James Bentley, Cullen explained: “James Bentley works from marker – he runs about 30 or 40 metres at pace across field and he has a right to do so.

“But if you’re going to come and make a tackle on Gareth Widdop, you ought not to hit him in the head with a swinging arm.

“Gareth Widdop is over six feet tall – although he’s stepping back inside, that swinging right arm was only ever going to hit somebody in the head.

“It’s a reckless tackle – charged at reckless, Grade C and the penalty notice attached was down to James’ previous record.”

Castleford Tigers winger Bureta Faraimo was also hit with a two-match ban recently for a tackle on Hull KR’s Will Dagger.

““Bureta Faraimo has run 25 metres on the back end of a high kick and a player ought to accept that fullbacks or wingers catching a high kick have the right to catch and drop,” Cullen continued.

“It’s invariably what fullbacks do. Because they catch a ball and drop to the ground to avoid having the ball being taken off them or pushed in goal or over the touchline.

“If they drop, you can’t just carry on and catch him in the head because you didn’t expect him to drop.

“I don’t know a fullback who doesn’t catch a bomb and drop – they’re not going to stand tall and wait to be bent in half.

“So, if you run 25 metres, you have to moderate your behaviour.

“Charged at reckless because of the way he enters into the tackle, the contact to the head and the injury to the player.”