After Hull FC forward Ligi Sao was handed a two-game ban by Monday’s Super League disciplinary panel, the club have made a decision on an appeal.
Super League clubs have until midday on Tuesday to decide whether they will appeal a charge and Serious About Rugby League have learned that Hull FC will not appeal the decision to ban Sao for two matches.
It means that the veteran prop will miss this week’s away trip to Wigan Warriors, as well as the round three clash with York Knights.
Perhaps more importantly, it also means that Sao will carry forward a number of penalty points on his record with the prop handed a 15-point charge for his tackle on Dan Russell.
With the RFL’s new rule that sees 75% of the points carry over after a ban has been served, it means Sao will resume in round four with 3.75 points on his record.
That would leave him just one Grade B charge, worth three points, away from landing a one-game ban, highlighting what a disciplinary tightrope he now has to walk.
Hull FC accept Ligi Sao ban
Had Hull FC appealed the charge at an Operational Rules Tribunal and lost then a further five points would have been added to Sao’s charge, taking his ban to a three-match one.
It would have also seen him carry over five penalty points meaning that even a Grade A charge of one point would be enough for a ban. That’s something that Catalans Dragons captain Benjamin Garcia found out this weekend with the Frenchman on a disciplinary tightrope on account of punching Elliot Minchella last year.
For Hull FC, attention now turns to how they will replace Ligi Sao as star prop Herman Ese’ese remains out. The good news is that Jed Cartwright should be available after he was sidelined for a HIA but in terms of a like-for-like replacement at prop, the club don’t have too many options.
Harvie Hill and Liam Knight will likely lead the line as they did in round one with someone such as Cartwright likely to replace Sao on the interchange bench.
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