Why three bans were given out as two sides suffer huge blows

A huge 16 players have been charged after Round Nine of Super League.

These include four from Hull KR vs St Helens and a huge six from Wakefield Trinity’s defeat to Leigh Leopards.

Of the 16 Warrington Wolves star Paul Vaughan has been hit with a one match ban.

Meanwhile, Liam Hood has been hit with two one-match bans in a huge blow for Wakefield.

11 £250 fines have been handed out whilst three players, Ethan Havard of Wigan Warriors, Matty Lees of St Helens and Jez Litten of Hull KR, are charged but receive no punishment.

Leeds Rhinos star Sam Lisone has been cautioned as has Matty Costello of Salford Red Devils.

It is the second week in a row where there has been 17 charges but this time no one is sent to a tribunal.

It is the highest number of individuals charged in one round but the three bans is far lower than we have seen from other rounds especially considering they were shared by just two players.

Following the latest round of Betfred Super League fixtures, the Match Review Panel have issued the following sanctions:

Gareth Widdop (Castleford Tigers) – Grade B Trip – £250 Fine
Adam Milner (Castleford Tigers) – Grade A Strikes – £250 Fine
Ben McNamara (Hull FC) – Grade B Other Contrary Behaviour – £250 Fine
Ethan Havard (Wigan Warriors) – Grade A Dangerous Contact – Not Applicable
Paul Vaughan (Warrington Wolves) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – 1 Match Penalty Notice
Harvey Livett (Huddersfield Giants) – Grade B Trips – £250 Fine
Jermaine McGilvary (Huddersfield Giants) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – £250 Fine
Rhys Kennedy (Hull KR) – Grade A Dangerous Contact – £250 Fine
James Bell (St Helens) – Grade A High Tackle – £250 Fine
Matty Lees (St Helens) – Grade A High Tackle – Not Applicable
Jez Litten (Hull KR) – Grade A Dangerous Contact – Not Applicable
Edwin Ipape (Leigh Leopards) – Grade A Dangerous Contact – £250 Fine
Ben Reynolds (Leigh Leopards) – Grade B Trips – £250 Fine
Liam Hood (Wakefield Trinity) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – 1 Match Penalty Notice
Matt Davis (Leigh Leopards) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – £250 Penalty Notice
Liam Hood (Wakefield Trinity) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – 1 Match Penalty Notice
Josh Charnley (Leigh Leopards) – Grade B Dangerous Contact – £250 Fine

The following players have received a caution:

Sam Lisone (Leeds Rhinos) – Raising Knee in Tackle
Matty Costello (Salford Red Devils) – Other Contrary Behaviour

So with 14 players charged but not banned and two more only cautioned with three charged and not punished, the question has to be asked why were Vaughan and Hood banned.

Well the minutes explain Vaughan’s ban:

“Dangerous Contact – Defender uses any part of their body forcefully to twist, bend or otherwise apply pressure to the limb or limbs of an opposing player in a way that involves an unacceptable risk of injury to that player.”

As for Hood, the minutes say of his first offence:

“Dangerous Contact – A defending player makes contact with an opponent after the ball has been released by an opponent in a vulnerable position which causes flexion to the head, neck or spinal column on an attacking player, which poses an unacceptable risk of injury to that player.”

In terms of his second, they say:

“Dangerous Contact – A defending player makes contact with an opponent after the ball has been released by an opponent in a vulnerable position which causes flexion to the head, neck or spinal column on an attacking player, which poses an unacceptable risk of injury to that player.”

What may frustrate Wakefield fans is the fact that just minutes earlier Matt Davis committed a similar offence for which he was cited but not banned.

Losing their first choice nine for two games is a huge blow for Wakefield whilst the loss of Paul Vaughan, Warrington’s star player in 2023, only exacerbates the loss of Gil Dudson and Joe Philbin to suspensions recently whilst Joe Bullock and James Harrison are still injured.