Hull KR felt there was ‘no need to fight’ the six-game ban handed to Tevita Pangai Jr, with head coach Willie Peters speaking publicly for the first time since the forward’s huge ban was confirmed.
In just his third game for the Robins, Pangai Jr was handed the heavy ban for what was deemed to be an eye gouge on Jake Connor with the forward having clearly placed his hand into and across the face of Leeds’ Jake Connor.
Whilst he wasn’t disciplined at the time, the Match Review Panel thought the incident warranted punishment and Hull KR clearly felt they didn’t have much of a case as they opted not to appeal, despite having previously challenged large bans to the likes of Rhyse Martin and Peta Hiku.
“Look, we accept it. Obviously, we didn’t fight it,” Peters responded when asked by BBC Radio Humberside on Thursday about the ban.
“It was something that Tevita needs to learn from and we’ll move on.”
As for why, Peters admitted that the decision wasn’t his to make but he clarified that the club felt no reason to challenge, as he admitted: “It was out of my hands. It’s with people that are a bit smarter than me and and understand it a little bit better. We just felt that there was no need to fight it.”
Real deal Rhinos, toothless Tigers stunned by York + ceasefire at Odsal – Click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
Hull KR forward pack set for key reshuffle
The six-game ban means that Pangai Jr will miss half of the remaining regular season games for Hull KR and given that he is only contracted until the end of the year, it could well harm his chances of a new deal.
Despite leaving the club at the end of the year, Peters was asked about that, simply stating that it’s something that is ‘out of my hands’ but he did issue an immediate challenge for the 30-year-old prop.
“All I’m worried about is Tevita coming back fit,” Peters said.
“He needs to earn his teammates trust, which he’s on the road to do. Now, he needs to he needs to make sure now that he works hard for the next six weeks, he helps prepare the team the best they can, and he gets as fit as possible and comes back in and ready to go.”
Pangai Jr’s ban comes during a week when Hull KR are without two other props and second-rower Dean Hadley, who often plays stints in the front-row, and that’s set to cause a reshuffle in the pack for Saturday’s game against Hull FC.
Peters admitted: “There’s no there’s no question that we’ve gone to some areas now that we’re probably going to have to move people around and put people in unfamiliar positions but that’s that’s what it’s about.
“You need to pull together and make sure that your team that you pick can do a job. We’re confident that we can we can put together a team that, as I say, even though people will be out of position, that they’ll do the job. That’s that’s the most important part for us.
