“That’s terrible”- Hull KR coach claims Robins’ star should have been sent off

Hull KR have had a torrid past two games against Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors with the second one resulting in them being dumped out of the Challenge Cup, however, problems could worsen with the potential for a ban to one of their star players.

The loss to Warrington last week meant that Hull KR missed the opportunity to go top of the Super League table, meanwhile, Saturday’s defeat has ended their Wembley dreams.

It’s also the nature of the two defeats with Hull KR limited offensively by two strong defences but also a bucketload of their own errors, whilst the right edge has now been exposed far too often at short notice.

That right edge could be set for a shakeup though due to disciplinary matters with suggestions from many fans online that referee Chris Kendall missed a potential red card for centre Peta Hiku. That’s something that the Head of the Academy at Hull KR has also since admitted.

Should Hull KR have gone down to twelve men?

With the game already gone for Hull KR and hopes of a second consecutive trip to Wembley dwindling, centre Peta Hiku seemed to let his frustrations get the better of him as he completed a tackle on Wigan’s full-back Jai Field.

Footage of the incident can be seen at the bottom of the article but Hiku piled down on Field to complete the tackle and ensure the elusive Field remained grounded, however, he made heavy use of his left shoulder in a swinging motion to connect with the head of the Australian.

Referee Chris Kendall was within ten metres but missed the incident, however, fans on social media and Head of the Academy at Hull KR, Jason Netherton, did not.

After incorrect claims that Hiku had flopped on Field, a flop only being relevant when a tackler adds weight as the second man in, so as Field wasn’t tackled and had no Hull KR defender on him, Hiku was within his rights to ‘flop on’. It was the use of his shoulder that has sparked controversy.

Netherton had also taken to social media to discuss other missed calls for flops and markers not being square, arguing that the RFL had backtracked on the matters after being eager to flag them in pre-season.

He posted on X: “I remember sitting in a meeting with the RFL at the start of the season when they spoke about clamping down on the markers not being square and also flopping on a tackle. As is standard with every season, they pick a topic that they talk about clamping down on then backtrack.”

Netherton’s post quickly caught the attention of rival fans who directed him to Hiku’s incident, with many incorrectly claiming that it was a flop. To that point the former Hull KR player had plenty to say.

To one, he responded: “No that wasn’t a flop as there was no other defender on him was there That’s still terrible though.”

To another though who had accused him of “missing it” given his club allegiances, Netherton would firmly declare his stance on the matter and it could well come back to bite Hiku when the Match Review Panel meet today.

Netherton clarified: “I didn’t miss it, I didn’t need to say anything about it because it wasn’t a flop or anything to do with markers

“It was direct contact with the head and should have been a red card. It’s not hard to say it, he’s not ‘my’ player.”

Whilst Peta Hiku might not be Netherton’s player, he still plays for the Hull KR badge and coaching staff members drawing attention to the fact that star players were deserving of red cards likely won’t help the cause if the Match Review Panel or Operational Rules Tribunal do look at the incident.

Two other centres, Tom Opacic and Adam Keighran, both saw yellow in that game and will certainly be discussed by the Match Review Panel alongside several players from the other Challenge Cup semi-final on Sunday.

You on about this one?pic.twitter.com/ZvxVX931la

— Days Since A Major Trophy (@SinceMajor) May 19, 2024