I see that KPP has been charged with a high tackle and Vete only gets 2 matches for the shocking challenge on Thornley

Just watching the replay and there was nothing wrong with it according to Bill Arthur and Eric and Ernie. Funny that because I recall them picking out tackles like that last season for criticism.

KPP doesn’t look to have picked up a ban at least (unless I’ve missed it). There will be some spectacular income coming in to the RFL via the fines in these early weeks of the season.

Yeah it says charge on the RFL Disciplinary website but it doesn't state if he's banned,Vete is in the same position maybe they have to appear tomorrow

Vete has 2 games on the list I’ve seen. They’ve referred Napa and Dudson to the board on Grade D charges (3-5 games). Leeds have lost Bentley and Dwyer for Friday, with 3 and 1 game bans each. There were 9 players banned all in all, which isn’t sustainable in a tough sport like this. Some will say it’s up to the players and coaches to sort, others will say the refs/disciplinary need to calm down but either way something will need to give.

Do you still lose 48-0 if the disciplinary ban half your team?

It's getting ridiculous the way that they are handing suspensions out,could you imagine Kelvin Skerrett playing nowadays he'd be constantly suspended

It might be controversial, but I think it's time more emphasis is put on punishing the players wallets, instead of impacting the team and robbing the fans.

Take Bentley for example. I'm no fan of his, but if I'm going to the match on Friday then I want to see the best Leeds side. He adds something, especially with his previous run ins with Bateman. I want to see that and 99% of fans watching on TV want to see that too. Instead, we all lose out because of an indiscretion made a week earlier.

Fine him, make him uncomfortable enough to teach him a lesson. Missing 2 or 3 games over the course of a season is nothing.

Agree fully with this.

Bentley would need a go fund me page just to eat



I’d have liked to have seen him play on Friday as well. We were at a real low ebb in that last game against the idiot at the DW and it was pretty frustrating to basically see him taking the mick and getting away with it. He’s certainly owed a working over by a more confident, experienced and better pack of forwards and I think he’d have got it on Friday.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how his old Saints mates welcome him.

Haha he probably would. At least it would be his problem tho.

I just can't get around the fact that, whilst Friday should still be a cracker, it could have had even more subplots etc. Like you said his whole playing up last year and the is he a good player or "budget Bateman" questions aren't going to be answered with him sitting in the stands.

He might only be missing 3 games, but this might also be the only opportunity to see him at the DW. Who's is really being punished there?

In truth they have to ban him for that but I wouldn’t be against harsher fines to try and deter foul play.

The Austin ban for the first game against Wire was one that was a really frustrating one IMO. That robbed the first ever game on C4 of a huge subplot and realistically he was banned for a nothing challenge that they’ll stop punishing as the season wears on anyway. It also took 8 days for him to learn his fate and I don’t understand how that works.

Bentley ban extended to 4 games due to a frivolous appeal.

Poor chap

Poor chap or brain donor…..I’ll go for option 2.

terrible decision

Panel is ruining the game. Austin vs Wire never happened, now no a Bentley vs Bateman.
This sport sure knows how to shoot Itself in the foot!

You can't let players off for foul play just because they might be playing their former club the week after.

No injuries resulted from these tackles. Just mistimed tackles . No common sense applied. Is a farce….

So you have to injure someone to deserve a ban?

Always like that argument

I don't understand why bans are ever an option tbh. It just seems like one of those things that has always been done, but no one really knows why.

Fine the player, but is missing a game or two (especially at this stage of the season) that much of a punishment? Imagine doing something wrong at work and getting a week off (on full pay) and your colleagues have to pick up the slack too.

Add in the impact it has on the game as a whole and how marketable it becomes to broadcasters etc and it's a relic that needs changing.

how did Bentley get sent off and Holmes not? His was worse for me as at least Widdop was already going down thus had a small bit of mitigation

You mean like a suspension at work when you've done something wrong?

Yeah because that happens all the time. Show me a workforce that has one or two people missing per week because they are suspended. Then show me customers of said workforce that just happily accept substandard products because of it.

Like I said, there's a real mental block when it comes to this and RL.

Maybe people don't do things wrong every week in their jobs like rugby players.

What punishment would you have handed out to Ben Flower after the Grand Final if you weren't going to suspend him?

Contact with the head is a ban.....Just don't hit people in the head.

was a manager at tesco, I can tell you it happens every day virtually, not all suspensions end in dismissal