Super League Disciplinary: Explaining Vuniyayawa, Yates and Miller decisions

The Match Review Panel’s decisions from the latest round of games have been revealed, in more Super League disciplinary drama.

Catalans Dragons were handed all three of the bans given, with hooker Michael McIlorum receiving both a Grade B Trips and Grade B Dangerous Contact charge, and a One Match Penalty Notice for each.

The ‘intentional trip’ wasn’t punished at all during the game.

Forward Mike McMeeken is also set to miss a game due to his own Grade B Dangerous Contact charge.

Surprisingly, however, Salford Red Devils’ King Vuniyayawa escaped any punishment, despite being sent off in their victory over London Broncos at Plough Lane.

He was red-carded for a tip tackle on the Broncos’ Marcus Stock.

However, the Panel decided that no further action would be taken, with the reason given in the Match Review Panel Minutes.

Super League Disciplinary: Vuniyayawa escapes ban

“Player lifts one leg of opponent and walks round with leg of opponent but never lifts above the hip. Opponent still has one leg on the ground.

“Opponent is being tackled in the upper body by two of player’s teammate and is twisted round and lands on his neck and shoulder.

“Player not solely responsible for the mechanics of the tackle and cannot be solely attributed to placing opponent in a dangerous position.”

To be given a Dangerous Contact charge, it would have to fit the criteria, which is:

“Defending player, in or after effecting a tackle, uses any part of their body forcefully to bend or apply unnecessary pressure to the head and/or neck and/or spinal column of the tackled player so as to keep the tackled player at a disadvantage in or after the tackle.”

Huddersfield’s Luke Yates was sin-binned in the first half of their win over Leeds Rhinos for a high tackle on Luis Roberts, but escaped punishment, as did London Broncos’ Will Lovell, who was given a yellow card for a tackle on Salford’s Tim Lafai.

Leeds full-back Lachie Miller was sin-binned in the final seconds of their defeat to Huddersfield for dissent, he also escapes any sort of charge and is free to play this weekend in their crucial game against Hull FC.

Hull KR’s Matty Storton was also sent to the bin for 10 minutes due to a high tackle on Catalans winger Tom Johnstone, but his Grade B Dangerous Contact charge was at the lower end of the grade, meaning he escapes with a £250 fine.