St Helens have been dealt a double blow with two players banned after their 16-2 loss against Warrington Wolves.
The game on Saturday was subject to plenty of controversy regarding disciplinary decisions as two early sin bins both came after video referee intervention following players remaining on the ground after contact.
Debate has been sparked of late about the notion of ‘milking’ penalties with Warrington head coach Sam Burgess even speaking about the matter before the game, before then offering a “quick fix” to solve the problem after the game.
However, one of the bigger talking points from that game about ‘milking’ penalties was aimed at Warrington star Josh Drinkwater who remained down after a late, but light, tackle from Matty Lees prompting a huge rant from Jon Wilkin.
Wilkin told the Australian ‘Hang your head in shame’ as he took aim and today the Match Review Panel have banned Lees, albeit not for that tackle.
St Helens see two players handed bans
Credit: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Lees is one of two St Helens players banned by the Match Review Panel with hooker Moses Mbye being the other. Both men have been handed one-match bans meaning that they will miss Saints’ final home game of the season when they host Castleford Tigers this week.
Both players were hit with a Grade B charge and their one-match bans come at the higher end of the punishment scale. Mbye’s charge came for ‘Dangerous Contact’ whilst Lees has been punished for ‘Contact with a match official’. The incident that he was sin-binned for was described as ‘light’ contact.
It means that Paul Wellens will be without two of his senior players for their must-win game against Castleford and in two crucial positions.
Prop Alex Walmsley came down with a knee injury in the loss to Warrington Wolves so depending on his recovery, Saints could be without both starting props.
Meanwhile, hooker Daryl Clark has been injured for the past few weeks and could face a race to be fit in order to return and play at nine after Mbye’s ban.
Paul Wellens did confirm that both Clark and half-back Lewis Dodd had returned to training on Saturday so there is a chance that the former Warrington man can return and replace the suspended Mbye.
