Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has called on ‘common sense’ to be used regarding disciplinary in light of recent charges against Rhyse Martin and Liam Horne.
Both men were handed Grade E charges for making unnecessary contact with a player who is or may be injured, however, Hull KR were able to successfully defend Martin.
Castleford weren’t successful and have seen Horne handed a whopping six-game ban meaning he wil miss more than half of the remainder of the season.
Asked to give his thoughts on the charges given that a Hull KR player was one of the two initially charged, Peters has called for a change in the process and argued that it should be less binary.
“I certainly think that needs to be looked at,” he said in his weekly press conference when asked for his thoughts on the charge to Martin.
“There is a black and white ruling around if you touch a player, it’s a grade E straight away. For me, it needs to be graded. They need to look at so many different factors of what it is.”
Hull KR boss calls for common sense after Liam Horne ban
That saw Peters draw the comparison to Castleford hooker Horne as he slammed the decision to hand down such a large ban, before explaining his thoughts on the situation.
“Look at Liam Horne, I don’t know where that’s at now but that is not (worthy) of a six-week suspension for that,” Peters argued.
“We were fortunate that we got off with Rhyse. He got a grade A for the contact, so I understand that. That’s all part of grading, but it doesn’t make sense to go to a grade E.
“Players aren’t deliberately going out to hurt someone. If someone’s hurt, then to pull them up and show no sort of empathy around a player that’s injured, that’s different. It’s if they know and believe that someone is milking it in terms of staying down.”
The Hull KR boss was also quick to defend Kaide Ellis, the player who was contacted with Horne appearing to pull the loose forward up in a bid to speed up the play the ball.
Peters explained: “Wigan did nothing wrong with that in terms of killing some time, but why should Liam Horne get suspended for six weeks? It just doesn’t make any sense. Wigan are doing the smart thing in the game at the time.
“I think common sense needs to be (used) in these moments because you can’t get a six-week suspension for that. I can understand Danny Maguire’s frustration after the game and then during the week as a coach, losing one of your key players for six weeks. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Willie Peters ask welfare question after controversial ban
Another point that Peters raised was the stress that a player goes through when faced with such a suspension, something that Hull KR centre Peta Hiku experienced after last year’s Grand Final as well.
Hiku was handed the same charge and faced the prospect of missing a New Zealand call-up if found guilty after touching Junior Nsemba when he lay prone on the floor. Fortunately for the Kiwi, he too successfully appealed the charge.
Talking about Martin, Peters said: “It’s extremely taxing. Rhyse was not in a good place at all and he’d just come off a four-month injury which he couldn’t control.
“If he’d done anything where I thought, ‘No, mate, that’s a six-week suspension or you put yourself in that position’, then I can understand but he was down. There’s no question. Afterwards, there was a massive, massive relief.”
Moving back to Horne, Peters said: “They need to look at how it affects players. We talk about welfare and stuff like that. Who’s around him (Horne) now in terms of welfare? I know Cas would be but is there anyone from RFL and stuff helping these players? Because they want to play. That’s what they want to do.
“If it’s illegal and if it’s not in the spirit of the game, players deserve it. Coaches will come down on the players… but when it’s the two from the weekend, that’s when we’re going to have a look at it.”
Castleford Tigers can confirm Liam Horne has been suspended for six matches after being found guilty by an independent Operational Rules Tribunal of Grade E unnecessary contact with a player who is injured or may be injured in Saturday’s Betfred Super League fixture against Wigan… pic.twitter.com/IY3Ax8h2hQ
— Castleford Tigers (@CTRLFC) July 1, 2025
