Long was absolutely livid about it on Twitter, saying it was worse than Newton's hit on him. Not sure that's true but it was a seriously bad hit and deserves probably 5+ games. Very nasty, just glad no permanent damage appears to have been done to the young lad.

On another note, could you imagine the furore if other players had been involved - perhaps Hock on Briers or Bailey on Sammut?

I don't think it's as bad as Newton/Long or Cassidy/Morley but it's not worth being graded at D. It should have been ungraded and left to the judiciary to decide.

Very bad hit - should be around a 5 game ban for me. I would say more if he hadn't been sent off.
Cross should get a 1 game ban and Chase 2 or 3 games in my opinion.

They may well count in the Salford game as one match served as he was sent off in th 3rd minute.
It was week 2, they need to let players know that trying that and they will be out of the game for some while.
Should be 8 games for that.

is there a video anywhere?

I agree, I was knocking a game off since he was sent off so early on and a game off assuming he has a clean record.

Whilst I love to see big hits we have to be very careful as a sport. The players are faster, fitter and by far bigger and stronger than ever before. We have to make it clear that if you're going to attempt a big hit, you'd better get it right.

Seach 'Theo Fages' on that famous Video hosting website we all know and it comes up.

Just seen it and think it was a nasty hit but nott he worst I have seen. Think Bousquet will get a 5 game ban

It wasn't just that it was late - he led into it with his elbow and his intentions were 100% clear - a long ban should follow

He didn't lead with his elbow, his arm was tucked down by his side, it was his shoulder/upper arm that struck Fages. He should still get a long ban though, these kind of high tackles where the defender's weight and momentum is used in the tackle is very dangerous rather than just an arm stuck out.

I don’t want to be pernickety however, he’s been charged with

=#0080FFLaw 15.1(a) Detail: Strikes - Strikes with shoulder - Intentional Grade D

There’s no mention of how it was off the ball, the only charge for this is

=#0080FFLaw 15.1(a) Detail: Strikes - Strikes with elbow off ball – Intentional Grade E - F

Now I know he didn’t lead with the elbow but surely there should be a higher tariff when it’s an off the ball incident?

This picture from the daily mail shows that Bousquet caught Theo with the side of his elbow. From this pic it looks like Theo was unconscious before he hit the ground.

No it shows that as they're falling his elbow moves next to his head. From the footage it looks like it's the shoulder, which he lead with, making contact with the head.

4 match ban for Bousquet

Catalan forward, Julian Bousquet has been handed a four match suspension for striking with the shoulder in last weekend's win over Salford. The late tackle offence, which was graded as D, saw Theo Fages of the City Reds, knocked out for eight minutes and according to assistant, Sean Long, stop breathing. READ MORE ON THIS STORY....

Catalan forward, Julian Bousquet has been handed a four match suspension for striking with the shoulder in last weekend's win over Salford. The late tackle offence, which was graded as D, saw Theo Fages of the City Reds, knocked out for eight minutes and according to assistant, Sean Long, stop breathing. READ MORE ON THIS STORY....

An intentional, late cowardly act. He's getting away with just four games. I wonder how the panel would have viewed it had the young lad not started breathing again ? Four games for killing someone, or would they have stuck a couple on top for manslaughter ?

I have to say, from my view, he clearly meant to do it.
Just because he didn't quite hit him as "well" as Morley, Boyd, Newton etc, he was clearly trying to.

I would have given a bigger ban than that. But it's done now so 4 it is.
Doesn't give the right message in my opinion.

Boyd never hit anyone 'well'. He was just a dirty piece of work. Not many RL players I dislike but he's up there.

Obviously not the point of this thread, but Bousquet does look a bit of a beast and potentially an excellent replacement for Ferriol.

He is appealing the ban.

They ought to add another game on then.

They ought to double the ban, it was the biggest piece of housery I've seen since Newton did Long and another Saints player (Gilmour?) in that same game at the then JJB.

Can't believe he's had the cheek and appealed.

Re-grade it to F and chuck the book at the house.

His appeal is adding insult to injury I guess. but the top clubs do this as second nature as the Club foots the cost of the appeal not the player. If the RFL amend the ban downwards the repeat fixture on Friday 19th July - may resemble a game of Rollerball.

Been saying this for a while on the Catalans Board.