Ian Watson accuses St Helens for starting red card incident

Huddersfield Giants’ battle with the likes of Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, Hull FC, Hull KR and Salford Red Devils for a spot in the play-offs was hurt by defeat to Super League and World Champions St Helens.

The Giants fell 12-0 down inside 10 minutes but they also had to spend most of the game with 12 men.

Matty English was sin binned for a cannon ball tackle and as he came back onto the pitch Joe Greenwood was sent off.

The prop was sent off for leading with the elbow in an incident that Ian Watson heavily questioned.

The Giants boss felt the Saints caused this incident and that they should have had a man sent off.

He said on BBC Radio Leeds: “The Joe Greenwood one, we played St Helens and had a man sent off at Magic weekend when we had a shoulder from Walmsley directly in the head of Greenwood in that game.

“We’ve had one today from, I don’t know if it’s the young kid, who’s gone straight through and shoulders directly in the face of Joe Greenwood. Joe Greenwood’s then pushed out and I think he has caught him with the elbow from the video thing, he’s kind of pushed out, but it’s not a malicious one.

“So he’s been sent off on the back of that after when we should have really had a penalty and then you look in that situation I’ve just seen it back on video there, for me I’d like the match review to have a little look at what Morgan Knowles is doing with his head after going down to the floor as well.

“For me you’ve got Joe Greenwood who has been directly hit in the face, we had Joe Greenwood directly hit in the face at Magic never got any penalties got concussed and got took off against that line magic. This game here he’s been sent off because he’s been lashed out and then you talk about players feeling protected, well that’s not protecting players when they’re getting whacked straight in the face and they’re the ones who are getting kind of concussed on the back of it.”