There`s only 2 reasons they fail on appeal.
One there`s video evidence somewhere that shows it and two the word of the TJ carries more weight than the player.

It's an odd one. I didn't see a punch live and it wasn't obvious on the sky footage. That in itself wouldn't be remarkable except that McDonnell seemed to be in frame throughout.

That’s the sensible way to look at it. A refs call in the heat of the moment with everything going on you can accept, but surely now if they’ve banned him they have absolute evidence.

Thought the blood was from an arm to the face. Hope we appeal it though wouldn't be surprised to see them increase it to 4 for a frivolous appeal

Blood on the face in a contact sport does not mean that someone probably did punch him.

As has been said elsewhere, if the assertion is that he did punch him, and that assertion has been made twice now (one on the night and again today) and he has been banned on that basis, then the RFL simply has to show the evidence. Leeds appeal is simple. Show us the punch

If you watched the post match interview that Lomax did, he had a puncture wound just below his bottom lip on the right side of his face. That could have been a split from a punch, given the shape of it something has hit him in the face and pushed one of his teeth through his lip. Could easily have been done when he made the tackle if he got his head in too low and hit a hip for example.

Given all the footage of the incident, we should be banning people on what there is evidence of, not what someone with a restricted view says they saw.

To be fair, I'm sure there's lots of footage of it. Sky only showed 1 replay, but they don't show replays of potential violent conduct or injuries anymore, but I'm sure the judiciary gets given access to them.

This is most likely.

That's cool but it's just not true is it?
Sky shows a replay of every single injury, they even show the replays at the ground if the games on sky.
Oh, and they showed a replay of the scuffle too so not sure what you're basing that on?

Sezer out for six weeks with a hamstring - Newman and Gannon to see specialists this week for further diagnosis.

We're down to the bare bones again with

Fusitua
Lisone
Austin
Sezer
Newman
Gannon
Bentley
Sinfield

All likely to be missing on Saturday

Hooley
Tindall
Olpherts
MacDonald
Handley
Myler
Johnson
Oledzki
O'Connor
Holroyd
Martin
Bentley
Smith

Sangare
Walters
Donaldson
Tetevano

Should be enough.

Is oldezki fit, thought I saw him go down holding the shoulder he’d had the op on.

Is Holroyd definitely fit?
He pulled up badly.

I think we'll see Roberts in the squad .
And wouldn't be surprised to see Smith start at 6 with Johnson on the bench.

Certainly seems time for Hooley to get another run. If not in this sort of situation he'll probably not play first team again.

We are appealing McDonnells ban

It was cramp, he came back on

Good - probably get another game added knowing our luck.

sadly I think you could be correct.
unless leeds have found footage of course

The footage of the incident just needs to be played in its entirety, with the disciplinary flagging up the incident. The burden of proof is on them. If there is nothing, then the implications are much more wide reaching than just this case.

it's the MRP that need to find the footage not Leeds.

This isn't a court of law though, it'll be the officials word against McDonnells word and I imagine they'll back their official.

they have too.
unless of course leeds have proof

That`s precisely it.
If Leeds have footage that shows no punch was thrown then they are allowed to show that as evidence.

You can't prove something that didn't happen though. If there is a punch, they'll have video evidence of it and all of this debate goes away. If they don't, and have not only sent him off but further banned him on someone's word, that there is no other evidence to support, then the implications for the sport are far reaching.

They've made a rod for their own back here the disciplinary, if they'd charged him with running on and being overly aggressive and banned him for a match then I don't think anyone could have complained really, certainly couldn't have appealed the charge as there's ample evidence of it, but if you charge and convict him with punching and then there's zero evidence of a punch being thrown you've pretty much got to clear him on appeal.

Makes the whole sport look amateur when you do something basic like this.