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Why Wigan Warriors had four players charged by the Disciplinary Panel

Five players have been charged by the match review panel following Round Seven of Super League.

Four of the players are from the Wigan Warriors with only Willie Isa picking up a one match ban.

Brad O’Neill was charged twice but only picks up a £250 fine.

The only player banned is Willie Isa which exacerbates the injury woes at Wigan with Cade Cust, Liam Marshall and Jai Field all injured ahead of the derby with St Helens.

Matty English is the only non Wigan player charged. He avoided a fine and a ban.

All six of the charges this week are for dangerous contact offences.

Once more, as in previous weeks, they all carry different punishments.

Three are fined as Grade B offences whilst the fourth Grade B offence is the ban which has come the way of Willie Isa.

Meanwhile, Matty English was only charged with a Grade A.

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

Kaide Ellis – Wigan Warriors – Dangerous Contact – B – £250 Fine
Matty English – Huddersfield Giants – Dangerous Contact – A – Not applicable
Willie Isa – Wigan Warriors – Dangerous Contact – B – 1 Match Penalty Notice
Brad O’Neill – Wigan Warriors – Dangerous Contact – A – Not applicable
Brad O’Neill – Wigan Warriors – Dangerous Contact – B – £250 Fine
Jake Wardle – Wigan Warriors – Dangerous Contact – B – £250 Fine

How did Wigan end up with five players charged however?

Here is what the Match Review Panel Minutes have to say on each matter:

Kaide Ellis:

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.

Willie Isa:

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.

Brad O’Neill:

Jake Wardle:

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

From this it is easy to see why Brad O’Neill avoided a ban given his offences were less about head and spinal injuries and more about danger to limbs.

However, differentiating the three and why one was banned but the other two weren’t is more difficult.

Interestingly, Wardle was the only one in the game shown a yellow card yet Isa is the one banned.

It is also another reminder of the RFL’s move towards more fines than bans.

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