Rugby League Disciplinary Verdicts: Bans and Fines Handed Out
Monday is here, and with it, the anticipated rugby league disciplinary verdicts from the RFL Match Review Panel. Last week saw three players receive bans, with Wigan Warriors’ Liam Byrne getting two games for head contact, while Castleford Tigers’ Liam Horne and St Helens’ Tommy Makinson each received one-match penalties for dangerous and head contact incidents, respectively. Interestingly, Horne and Makinson were able to serve their bans by using reserves’ fixtures, thanks to a loophole that allows players to do so when their first team is not playing.
This week, the focus shifts to the Challenge Cup semi-finalists, as the Panel closely examined any potential punishable incidents from the matches. Warrington Wolves’ comfortable victory over Huddersfield Giants saw some on-field scuffles, with Huddersfield’s Jake Connor and Tui Lolohea both involved in incidents that warranted close inspection. Similarly, Wigan Warriors’ big win over Hull KR featured a scuffle involving Tom Opacic and Adam Keighran, while Peta Hiku’s aggressive contact with Jai Field’s head was also scrutinized.
“While several incidents were investigated, not all resulted in charges.”
However, the Panel did hand out one-match bans to Wigan Warriors’ Kaide Ellis and Sam Walters for Dangerous Contact and Head Contact, respectively. Luke Thompson of Wigan Warriors was also fined £250 for his Grade B Dangerous Contact charge.
Notably, Hull FC’s Herman Ese’ese was cited for verbal abuse in his team’s loss to Catalans Dragons, and a decision on whether to charge him or progress the case further will be made on Thursday.
As the rugby league season continues to unfold, players and teams will be closely watching the disciplinary proceedings, hoping to avoid any costly suspensions that could impact their on-field performances.
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