Castleford Tigers man handed huge Super League ban after disciplinary tribunal

Castleford Tigers hooker Liam Horne has appeared at a Super League disciplinary tribunal after a Grade E charge was handed to him.

The Papua New Guinean is one of two players facing an Operational Rules Tribunal tonight with Horne’s hearing starting at 4.30 pm after he was cited in Monday’s Super League disciplinary wrap.

Horne was handed a Grade E charge, which automatically ensured he was heading for a tribunal, with the Castleford hooker deemed to have made ‘Unnecessary contact with a player who is injured or maybe injured’.

Kaide Ellis was the player in question as footage of the alleged incident circulated on social media with Horne completing the tackle on Wigan’s loose forward before grabbing him by the collar in an attempt to encourage him to speed up the play the ball.

The incident happened in the dying minutes of Castleford’s 26-20 loss to Wigan in Super League on Saturday evening and the Tigers will have no doubt noted Ellis’ potential time wasting at the disciplinary hearing.

Regardless of that, the rules are in place to prevent injury with players reminded frequently not to make contact with those who could be injured.

Should Horne be found guilty then he faces a lengthy ban and the Operational Rules Tribunal have now met and confirmed their verdict.

Super League disciplinary verdict as Horne handed six-game ban

It’s now been confirmed that Horne has been found guilty of the charge with a whopping six-game ban handed down to the hooker. That rules him out for over half of the club’s remaining eleven games in Super League this year in a major blow for the club.

An RFL statement confirmed: “Liam Horne of Castleford Tigers 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 Warriors.

“Horne, who pleaded not guilty, has also been fined – and 36 points will be added to his disciplinary record.”

The next game that Horne will be available for is the away trip to face Catalans Dragons on August 23rd, with the 29-year-old set to miss games against Huddersfield, Salford, Warrington, St Helens, Hull KR and Leeds Rhinos.

Castleford can appeal the decision but success would be very unlikely and a failed appeal would add a further five points to Horne’s record, not that those points would make a major difference given the severity of the ban.

The disciplinary drama from that Castleford and Wigan clash might not yet be over as Tigers’ head coach Danny McGuire has been asked to explain his post-match comments to the RFL, who have opened a compliance investigation.

McGuire criticised the officials over an incident, which the head of referees has since accepted was a ‘clear error’, but nonetheless it’s led to an RFL investigation.