England pair face NRL action with ban confirmed for ex-Wigan Warriors forward

Two former Wigan Warriors men and current England internationals in the NRL have been hit with disciplinary action for differing incidents.

England international Kai Pearce-Paul has been issued a two-match ban following his sin-binning against the Dolphins last weekend.

The Newcastle Knights forward and former Wigan Warriors player has impressed in the 2025 NRL season so far but pled guilty to a Grade 2 shoulder charge.

This means he will miss fixtures against Gold Coast Titans and Canterbury Bulldogs following his early guilty plea.

The incident itself was initially missed by referee Gerard Sutton in the Knights’ 26-12 victory but upon a Bunker review, Pearce-Paul was sin-binned and the incident was also put on report.

As it’s his first offence, he’s been given just a two-match ban, with many feeling he may have been subjected to a longer punishment.

Pundits and fans alike across the NRL have noticed a significant improvement in Pearce-Paul in his second season in the NRL and the forward seems to be thriving under Newcastle boss Adam O’Brien.

As the Knights have a bye in round four, he won’t be back until round six when Newcastle host Wests Tigers on Sunday 13th April at the Macdonald Jones Stadium.

There’s also been a development for another England player as Canberra Raiders forward and Pearce-Paul’s former Wigan teammate Morgan Smithies has been served a breach notice by the competition, following his Las Vegas incident.

He and Raiders teammate Hudson Young have issued the notice after breaching the NRL Code of Conduct.

In a statement on the NRL’s website, it said: “The National Rugby League (NRL) today issued Canberra Raiders players Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies with a Breach Notice alleging a breach of the NRL Code of Conduct.

“The Breach Notice alleges the players engaged in conduct which has brought the game and their Club into disrepute. The NRL recognises that the players provided a public apology and have accepted responsibility for their actions.

“In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the RLPA, information concerning the NRL’s proposed sanction will not be disclosed until the players have had the opportunity to respond to the alleged breach and the matter is finalised.”