Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet admits he has had words with Adam Keighran regarding his struggles with on-field discipline.
Keighran has been shown two yellow cards already this month for very similar incidents, with the centre showcasing a habit of tackling recklessly. He was sin binned in round one for a high shot on Castleford Tigers half-back Daejarn Asi and ultimately handed three penalty points.
And, he was sent for 10 minutes on Saturday night, too, with a late challenge on Will Pryce forcing the referee into action. Keighran was scrutinised once more by the Match Review Panel this week and was handed three more points, putting him at risk of a ban in the not too distant future.
Peet has spoken to Keighran about the situation with the head coach guiding and urging him to avoid putting himself in a situation where he could let down his teammates.
“I did last week, and I have in the past, and we’re working with Adam,” Peet said in this week’s press conference, per Serious About Rugby League sister site Wigan Today. “He knows it’s not acceptable, he doesn’t accept it in his own game, so ultimately, he is risking the team by getting himself shown cards.
“There is the opportunity for him to get suspended, and he’s getting fined as well, so on top of that, we’re speaking about it and trying to help him to correct his technique, his timing and his decision making.
“I was particularly disappointed for him – not at him – at the weekend because he had an outstanding game. I knew he would be disappointed in himself, and that’s my job as the coach to challenge him to be better, to support him and help him get better, and I’m sure he’ll be better for it in the long run. He is a fantastic player, and we need him on the field.”
Keighran’s tackle on Pryce on Saturday was late, but he wasn’t responsible for causing the ruptured ACL that the young Hull full-back left the Brick Community Stadium with.
That came after a fair challenge from Junior Nsemba, with Pryce landing awkwardly.
“It’s never nice to see,” the Wigan Warriors boss added. “It’s a constant risk. We control what we can control, I think every coach will say the same, probably every player and everyone in sport, it’s the worst thing to be involved with in professional sport.
“We all hate to see it, regardless of who the player is or what team they play for. It’s the worst part of sport to see young lads get hurt when they work so hard on their craft.”
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