Fa’amanu Brown ban looms as Jon Wilkin slams “mind-blowingly bad decision”

In one of the most surprising decisions in Super League history, Hull FC star Fa’amanu Brown was sent off against Warrington Wolves on Friday night.

The hooker turned halfback was playing only his second game for the Black and Whites and against the odds the Arlie Birds were competing with the Wolves at 6-all.

Ben Currie went into contact and swung around accidentally colliding heads with Brown. Currie was busted open leading to a stop in play. It felt like one of those accidents that would lead to nothing but a resumption of play.

But then the new rules kicked in and Brown was sent off as he was deemed to have made “forceful and direct” contact with the head with no mitigating circumstances.

Now as we await disciplinary today, the question over whether or not Fa’amanu Brown will be suspended looms large. Most would hope not but the rules may dictate otherwise.

Jon Wilkin slams “mind-blowingly bad decision” to send off Fa’amanu Brown

Speaking on Sky Sports, pundit Jon Wilkin ripped into the decision describing it as a “shocker.”

He said: “It’s a shocker. It’s an absolutely mind-blowingly bad decision. And you’re right, it’s damaging. Because what do I want to talk about here? I don’t want to give officials a hard time. I want to be talking about Hull FC’s young players, who’ve come to Warrington against Sam Burgess’s men, a point of performance that they should be proud of.

“But we can’t talk about that because of the way that that send-off has impacted them again.

“You can’t choose when you apply them. There’s about 10 to 12 genuine contacts with the head. Now that was the least ferocious and the least obvious of all of them and he gets sent. Come on.”

“Look, let me say this, being a referee is incredibly difficult. I think they do a fantastic job. I think what Robert Hicks and the game are trying to put in place to protect players’ welfare is absolutely right. I’m all behind it.

“But the execution of this is really important. And the execution of the rules tonight was really bad. And that builds really important. And the execution of the rules tonight was really bad. And that builds animosity towards the actual purpose of this, which is to protect the welfare of players.”