5 match ban www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480

5 match ban www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480

Or the minimum! Very poor from rfl!

Ends his season... i suppose the RFL thought that would be sufficient.

In conclusion..
Pack your suitcase,enjoy your holiday and you might get a game at the back end of the 4 nations.

Weak d RFL. He should have been given the fullest available punishment. I hope Wigan now reevaluate his position and sack the piece of excreta

I wouldnt be at all surprised if they did, they cant be happy with his behaviour dragging their name through the mud especially after they stuck by him through the drug ban

If he had done that on the street he'd of got 5 years inside, too lenient imo, he could of blinded poor Ben Harrison by what he was trying to do, nothing but a thug!

When you've got Maguire defending the indefensible and backing him up then what incentive does Hock have to change his ways? He'll serve his ban and be right back with the same thuggish behaviour next season. At least then Maguire won't be around to sanction it and the new coach might be a little more responsible in the managing of his players.

Anyone expect anything else from the Wigan Disciplinary committee....sorry, I mean the RFL Disciplinary committee?

Some seriously stupid over-reaction on here. Wigan should sack him, 5 years inside if he did it on the streets - get real.

It wasn't clever, given his previous I would have thought 6 games minimum for the gouging for the punch wasn't worth a ban therefore 5 games not too far off but honestly people need to get real. Some of the over-reaction on here is more embarrassing than The Brigantes.

Wigan's players on average never get more than a slapped hand and a don't do it again PLEASE. The RFL are toothless when it comes to Wigan

That's about my thoughts as well tbh. Think the 1 game ban for the punch is a bit of a stretch but at the same time I was expecting 5 or 6 for the gouge. I imagine they'll have looked at it and said see you next season.




Absolutely. I mean no Wigan players have been banned this year have they. None. Whatsoever.

Name me times this season where Wigan have got away with it at the disciplinary? And don't bring up Wembley + Tomkins, that's barely worth what it got to begin with.

Should have got 8 matches...I'm starting to fear for the game in this country...
The game is punishing enough and acts of thuggery need to be dealt with harshly....5 matches is weak IMO.

Did anyone read the whole of that report in sporting life.

There's definately a joker working there.

"He was placed on report by referee Richard Silverwood for the punching incident but was subsequently cited by the RFL's match-review panel for the more serious charge of gouging.

Hock, who was also fined £300, missed out on selection for Wigan's team for the Challenge Cup final nine days ago[u but has caught the eye [/uwith his performances in the last two league games."

A grade E offence carries a ban of 4-8 games so as there was no injury inflicted to the letter of the law 4 games plus 1 for the punch looks to be about right, anyway that'll do so much for "he'll be like a new signing" see you next year you fool.

At least we now know the little s**t wont be seen again this season

5 games is fair enough I think.

I bet Hock isn't too bothered. he doesn't strike as somebody that will be particularly sorry about his actions etc. The RFL have given him the minimum, seems right to me, at a push I'd have gone halfway and given him six for the eye and left the punch out, just issued a warning, plenty of punches thrown in SL, you get 10 mins.

As a comparison, was it 10 games that Newton got when he assaulted Long & IIRC Albert was it that night?

I'm with you, season ending ban, fair enough for me.

Haven't the RL missed a chance to send a message to all players that this type of behaviour is not acceptable?
The maximum ban would have sent a much more powerful message.

I five match ban is a pretty reasonable message don't you think? It must be one of the severest bans handed out this season (for an on field infringement) for what was the severest infringement. Unless of course you're advocating an increase for all punishments?

I wouldn't have been disappointed or surprised if he got all 8 though; can't say he wouldn't have deserved it. Reckless and completely unnecessary.

I, Personally, would have preffered the maximum as a sentence and he probably would have got that if the rfl believed it was intentional!

I don't know how they came to the decision it was accidental but it does highlight how toothless they are.

Yep, i'm satisfied. Five games is about right. I'm actually more aggrieved with Maguire's "There's nothing much there. Obviously emotions were running high throughout the game." comment. As if he's saying 'oh i'm alright with my player eye gouging somebody, i don't care. if it's a high intensity game i have no problem with it!'

He's not going to play again for wigan this season, and could conceivabley miss a couple of games at the start of next season too. It also (fortunately) ends any faint hopes he might have had regarding a return to the England setup for the four nations.

Harrison didn't suffer any damage, and it is possible that contact with the eyes was accidental (I doubt it, only Hock knows for certain), so I'd say the punishment is about right. I would also hope that the RFL have made it perfectly clear that 11 matches suspended in a period of less than 18 months (not counting his drugs ban) means he will not receive any leniency whatsoever in future.

I agree 5 games is fair and correct.