Elliot Minchella caused plenty of controversy with a high shot in Hull KR ‘s win over Leigh Leopards, and he has now learned his fate in the latest Super League disciplinary drama.
His high shot on Leigh Leopards full-back Matt Moylan caused him to be sin-binned in an easy 24-0 victory on Friday night.
It was a swinging arm as Moylan was falling after dropping a catch, putting himself in a vulnerable position.
Chris Kendall said that there was mitigation due to Moylan falling backwards, but not everyone agreed.
Former Leeds Rhinos man, Jamie Jones-Buchanan claimed on Sky Sports: “It’s clumsy. He wants to bang him.
“I’ve listened to all the coaches talking about head contact all year but you look at him and the position they’re in, why even risk that with where they’re at right now and what the consequences could be?”
Some pointed to other lengthy bans, such as the three-game ban for Warrington Wolves man Paul Vaughan recently.
Explaining why Hull KR captain copped controversial ban
Credit: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Minchella has been given a two-match penalty notice, due to a Grade C Head Contact charge.
The captain was given a charge for an ‘intentional trip’ last month and given a £250 fine for Grade B Trips, and this minor charge may mean he misses a potential Grand Final for the Robins.
If they finish in the top two of the Super League table, they won’t need to play an eliminator match – they’d head straight to a semi-final, and then there would be a potential Grand Final – that’s just two games, meaning he’d miss both.
The Robins have, understandably, already confirmed that they have appealed the charge, hoping to bring it down to a Grade B charge – which would mean he only misses one game, and if they were to win the semi-final he would be free to play at Old Trafford.
It seems that Hull KR will be claiming that it was a ‘careless’ challenge or a ‘reckless’ challenge in their appeal, as they are merely challenging the grading – not whether he should have received a charge at all.
