I watched it live on TV and as soon as Welsby made it i said WHAT a tackle and i said thats as perfect a tackle that could be made .
I watched it live on TV and as soon as Welsby made it i said WHAT a tackle and i said thats as perfect a tackle that could be made .
Double post
It’s harsh on Bennison, whom I really rate, but if Hopoate is fully fit and ready to do 80 mins I’d swap him straight in at full back for Bennison and leave the rest of the backline the same. Firstly, Having Percy and Matautia in the three-quarters gives us a load of extra go-forward, which is hugely important given Walmsley’s absence. Secondly, we look a lot more secure defensively on the edges with that more experienced line up. And thirdly, on the few occasions Hopoate has played at full back we’ve looked like a completely different team in attack.
If Knowles does get banned that opens up a bench spot and there could be a case for giving it to Bennison; he’d be like-for-like cover for Hopoate and if we needed cover in the forwards we could put him on and shift Matautia into the pack. I suspect Woolf will want forwards on the bench though; if Norman has recovered I could see him getting the spot.
Lafai against Huddersfield tackled a player 5 seconds after the ball had been released and got no ban so I’m confident mata’utia won’t be banned however the consistency of the rfl is a joke, welsby’s tackle was a great tackle he hit the man in he’s chest and he clashed heads a little with him so I’m pretty sure that can’t be seen as a ban the one i am nervous about is knowles I think Atkin as made a meal out of it so looks worse pretty much every game a player grabs another players arms to slow the PTB atkin is on the verge of spinning round to escape it and falls around like there was a sniper if you watch it knowles doesn’t pull on he’s arm he’s just got hold and the pulling comes from atkin trying to pull away so fingers crossed we have no bans because Any of them being banned is a big loss
Norman has a busted cheekbone...more chance of me being picked!
The judiciary this year have banned Knowles and Matautia for some pretty soft stuff. Fingers crossed our luck will swing tonight. For a showpiece final the league should want as much quality on the field as possible. Players missing finals for those small grey area 50/50 calls is stupid. Having said that, it didn’t stop them banning Matautia from last years cup final.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
Surely they wont ban Knowles for that? Hardly anything, the Salford player milking it as though he was an 80 year old with arthritis.
I honestly think Knowles is the only one with a case to answer. The only thing that can save Knowles is the fact that;
A. It wasn’t something he’s done before.
B. It wasn’t a typical chicken wing.
These two factors could reduce it from a ban, to a warning and heavy fine. The judiciary have to been seen to take some sort of action.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
The fact that the contact was initiated to slow down the play the ball rather than the suggestion to injure (ludicrous) should see him perhaps get a warning. He's got him in a slightly awkward position but not with any force or intention. A chicken wing in the truest sense is intended purely to injure and rightly has no part in our sport. Morgan is just not that kind of player.The rest is just hot air spouted by rival fans who don't want us to win 4 titles in a row, if it was a Salford player and they were going to a final it would barely be getting a mention
It’s the no contact to the head point that it will turn on.
I thought it was head on head but slowed down it looks like it might have been his left shoulder.
Clearly unintentional and shouldn’t be a ban. Is he eligible for a 0 match Grade A?
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I think as long as it’s only one in last 24 months he’s eligible for 0 matches on a grade A?
Someone told me rules are two charges in 24 months including one in last 12 months means don’t get the lower penalty (ie 0 rather than 1 match at grade A).
If it’s above grade A obv he’d be done
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It's pretty pointless worrying about what the Match Review Panel will do, on previous experience they roll a dice to decide what happens.
Knowles out, Bell up to 13 leaving a space on the bench? Hopoate situation could change things though.
Hopoate
Makinson
Hurrell
Matautia
Percival
Lomax
Welsby
Lees
Roby
Paasi
Batchelor
Sironen
Bell
Lussick wingfield lms bennison.
Lightweight bench but that would be our best starting line up. Matautia to move into the pack later in the game.
If Bennison doesn’t start no way will we put him on the bench.
We’ll more likely go for this and keep Sione ready to slot back into centre should anything happen to Hoppa.
Hopoate
Makinson
Hurrell
Percy
Bennison
Welsby
Lomax
Lees
Roby
Paasi
Sironen
Batchelor
Sione
Lussick
Wingfield
LMS
Bell
Saints - Hopoate, Knowles, Dodd, Walmsley, Grace all out.
Leeds - Sezer, Gannon, Newman and potentially Handley and Fusitua
The game is dead. Each week we're seeing the best players sat in the stands through either suspension or Injuries.
Kids favourite players sat in the stands constantly. It's a right mess.
I think the point is with the game continually getting tougher and tougher with ever advancing sports science, asking players to play as many games as we do is causing us to get to a unsustainable tipping point, leading to more and more players picking up serious injuries, and subsequently the quality of our showcase events dropping due to our elite players being injured. I think we could all agree that we would prefer both sides to be much closer to full strength than they are and the RFL to do more to protect players (including mandatory recovery times between games - playing 2 Easter’s this year was insanity).