The Super League disciplinary news is in after another action-packed round of rugby league with the Match Review Panel ruling on the five games from Round Two.
News around the Super League disciplinary process and the bans that players are handed has been a heavy focus among fans in recent years but with the stricter punishments on head contact, disciplinary is a huge topic this season.
Round One saw nine sin bins and four players sent off with the results from the Match Review Panel seeing 16 players charged.
Among those were Liam Watts and Franklin Pele who both saw red in differing circumstances, Watts was charged with contact to the head and subsequently banned for four games, whereas Pele’s swinging arm attack on Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella controversially received just a three-match ban.
Ultimately Round Two has seen fewer cards, both red and yellow, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been without controversy and a number of players will be expecting bans.
The most obvious among though is Hull FC’s Nu Brown who was sent off for what many have deemed ‘the worst ever red card’, the Kiwi making accidental contact with Ben Currie’s head but still being sent off in a decision that Jon Wilkin labelled as a “mind-blowingly bad decision”.
The night before three players saw yellow with Peta Hiku, James Donaldson and Sam Lisone all spending ten minutes in the bin but Donaldson will be anxious to hear what ban he receives for his swinging arm to the head.
Unpunished incidents from the Round Two games included Kelepi Tanginoa’s high shot on Harry Newman as the Rhinos centre scored, as well as Josh Thewlis who committed a similar offence when Liam Sutcliffe failed to score.
All those events have led to the question of ‘who has been punished and for how long’, and now the results are in.
Super League Disciplinary: Round Two
Super League Disciplinary – Match Review Panel’s Charges
The RFL have made the decision to clarify the rules and as such haven’t banned Brown which is brilliant to see, but the below players have been hit with charges.
– Jack Brown (Hull FC) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – £250 Fine
– Harvey Barron (Hull FC) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – £250 Fine
– Will Gardner (Hull FC) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – £250 Fine
– Liam Sutcliffe (Hull FC) – Grade D Contact with Match Officials – 2 Match Penalty Notice and £250 Fine
– James Donaldson (Leeds Rhinos) – Grade D Head Contact – 2 Match Penalty Notice and £250 Fine
– Sam Lisone (Leeds Rhinos) – Grade D Head Contact – 3 Match Penalty Notice and £250 Fine
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