Warrington Wolves star and former Wigan Warriors stand off George Williams has established himself as one of the best English players in the game. The stand-off also earned the huge honour of being appointed England captain after Sam Tomkins’ retirement.
But ahead of his first major test, the halfback has been banned for two of the three games against Tonga.
Thus he will miss two thirds of the games. At a tribunal last night his appeal was rejected and found to be frivolous meaning that an extra game was tacked on, meaning he will now miss the first two of England’s three Tonga tests.
Serious About Rugby League reached out to the RFL over this decision and they said: “Frivolous means that the appeal, in the opinion of tribunal members, had no basis or merit to it within the rules and laws of the game.”
Thus, it seems that there was nothing the RFL could do.
St Helens’ Matty Lees also appeared at the tribunal contesting a Grade B shoulder charge and he found himself successful, seeing the appeal dropped from a Grade B and one game ban to a Grade A and a £250 fine.
Lees therefore will be able to play in the test at his home team’s Totally Wicked Stadium on 22nd October.
The Operational Rules Tribunal’s findings were as follows:
“George Williams of Warrington Wolves pleaded guilty to a Grade B charge of a shoulder charge in the Betfred Super League Play-Off at St Helens on September 30, but challenged the grading.
“The independent Operational Rules Tribunal rejected the challenge, and deemed it frivolous, therefore increasing the resulting ban from one match to two.
“Matty Lees of St Helens also pleaded guilty to a Grade B charge of a shoulder charge in the Betfred Super League Play-Off at Catalans Dragons on October 6, and also challenged the grading.
“The independent Operational Rules Tribunal upheld this challenge, downgrading the charge to Grade A, and therefore reducing the punishment from a one-match suspension to a £250 fine.
“Lees will therefore be available for England’s first Test against Tonga on October 22, if selected.”
Losing Williams is a major blow for England given his form at times throughout the season and also his incredible Man of the Match performance in his debut as captain against France.
Talk will quickly turn to who replaces him with the armband but also in the halves for those two games in which he misses with the first game of the series only 11 days away now.
