GAME ON : Warrington Wolves v St. Helens - 15:15:00

GENERAL CHAT ABOUT THE GAME, BUILD UP, THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENS AND AFTERMATH BELOW.

Why does Atkins always celebrate tries he didn’t score? Nob.

Getting a bit tasty for a dead rubber. I dont think there was much in the challenge from Lees. A penalty is fair enough but no malice in it imo. When the video is reviewed one or two may get bans for punching though.

Easy win. I don’t care what the wolfs fans say, no team goes out there with the intention of not really playing, especially at home. Outclassed everywhere. Lees is gonna have full pockets on his way home with all of warringtons pack in them

Regards

King James

Nevertheless, it was reckless and if he played for Warrington it would be a 3-5 match ban.

What would you expect? You've got a better team and your supporters are better looking and more intelligent than us.

He'll get a few games for that I reckon.

Intent plays a part but so does the player's responsibility to the opponent and point of impact. You can't come in like that and smash your knee into a players head/neck, intent or not. Using knees is a big no-no, dangerous contact to the head/neck is a massive no-no.

Still, spiced things up for a while.

Nothing in it. Wasn’t intentional. Westwood’s was worse, deliberately attaching the Knees. I expect that from him though. Made a career out of being a grub. Except against Castleford of course

Regards

King James

As Tom Lineham found out, it doesn't matter whether it was deliberate or not, the key word is "reckless" and if you're a Warrington player that can result in a 3-5 match ban.

He didn't do anything wrong. He's running into smash him with a big and perfectly pegal hit and he's tackled and falls. How can he predict that? Are you seriously saying players can't move forward or stand in front of the ball carrier now in case the ball carrier falls and hits his head on them?

Worst challenge in the game was Mike Cooper on Bentley.

If the man is tackled it should be clear to the one who's coming in to smash him that he may fall when tackled. Consequently, his action is reckless.

He may not have intended the outcome, but the fact remains he made contact using the knee (illegal) on the head/neck (also illegal) in a dangerous manner that resulted in injury and the player being ruled out for the remainder of the game.

silver2 has it right; reckless is the key. I know you think the rules shouldn't apply for St Helens, but they do.

Bet you also think Billy Slater should play next Sunday.

Not at all, he simply can't see that coming. If you're going to play the reckless card, every player who is aggressive in contact or runs the ball in hard is also reckless. Example a player running a ball in from a drop out. They often run as hard and fast as they can into the defenders. That's reckless. There have been several similar incidents in games this season and none were penalties or bans.

And people wonder why RL has gone soft and lost its appeal. Case in point, Billy Slater looking at missing the NRL grand final. Soon it will just be a game of tag

Regards

King James

When you look at the other camera angle it was more of a collision than a reckless tackle, if Roberts hadn't been going downwards from the tackle a couple of seconds earlier then Lees would have smashed him. I don't see how Lees could have made a split second prediction on what the outcome is going to be.

What annoys me most is that Lomax gets clobbered with this type of tackle every week and it never gets punished, I though Cooper and Westwood went beyond borderline with some of there tackles today.

Inferior teams do tend to toe the thuggish line

Regards

King James

Well, in that case we'll have to wait and see if the disciplinary panel believe that Stains are thuggish and inferior.

Lomax gets a knee to the back of the head/neck every week?



We really do need new officials in that case.

Funnily enough, no one seems to mentioning the fact that Goodwin had to stop for treatment in the second half after falling into Peyrouxs knee taking the ball out from their own line.

Also surprised Pattons ultra late elbow into Richardson’s face when he was pushed into touch at the start of the second half hasn’t been mentioned yet either.

Westwood and Hill got smashed by Thompson and Knowles and were spoiling for a fight and ran in the first chance they got. It was weak refereeing to referee the reaction not the incident. That being said, fully expect Lees to get a game from the disciplinary to “support” the refs decision...

Saints fans: imagine if it was John Bateman doing this.



Not intentional, but nevertheless - reckless & dangerous contact with the knee to the head/neck. If the rules are applied he misses game time.

Strikes with knee in tackle. Grade D-E, 3-8 matches.

I think we are in Benny Westwood territory here.

In the swamp with Princess Fiona & Donkey?

Why am I thinking Ratchford and Atkins here!!!

Lee's challenge was accidental but also the culmination of every Saints player looking to belt anyone who took the ball in after Cooper smashed Bentley. They took it personal and made it their mission to deck the Warrington team. The offload to Roberts came from a smash hit and then they were all looking for Roberts who bumped off one defender, and got grabbed by another round the legs. Lee's was looking to smash Roberts just like the rest of the team but this time he fell and Lee's caught him awkwardly.

Unfortunate but the card was needed to diffuse things. If that had gone unpunished then it would have carried on throughout the match decending into team brawls every 10 minutes instead of the one that happened. There is a lot that needs looking at in the game as is.

Patton late on Richardson.
Cooper's hit was dubious.
The brawl had some furious punches thrown.