The likely reason why Wigan Warriors star avoided ban for head contact charge

Wigan Warriors star Adam Keighran was charged with Grade B Head Contact but wasn’t banned for the offence leading to some St Helens fans bemoaning the decision ahead of their meeting on Good Friday.

The charge comes after Wigan Warriors defeated Sheffield Eagles in the Challenge Cup.

With James Bell of the Saints picking up a ban, their fans will be asking why the Wigan Warriors star avoided a ban.

The answer would appear to be simple. He was only hit with a Grade B charge. Now this can sometimes incur a ban, like with James Bell, but more often than not Grade B offences don’t come with bans.

Furthermore, a player’s past record is key to this decision. So, Keighran’s lack of a record and the low level of the offence likely was the reason he has avoided a ban.

This is an example of the Match Review Panel’s system working fantastically. Not every incident should be punished with a ban and sometimes a fine is all the deterrent required. Furthermore, it is an example of the best players being kept on the field which is one of the reasons why the sport moved towards fines.

Wigan Warriors boss has his say on cup tie

After the Wigan Warriors defeated Sheffield, Matt Peet said to the club’s official website: “Credit to Sheffield for the way they attacked the game. They were good, they made a real contest of it but their form so far coming into this game, we knew that they would.

“We were below our best but I wouldn’t like to take too much away from Sheffield, they made a real contest of it. I think we’ll move on pretty quick from tonight.”

Peet also spoke on the return of Kruise Leeming: “It was good to see him back out there, he was involved in some of our better moments and he’ll certainly be better for having another game under his belt.”

After this victory over the Sheffield Eagles, the Wigan Warriors head into a huge clash against St Helens on Good Friday in what should be a terrific game between two title contenders.