Pretty sure that loophole only applies if you qualify by age eg McIllorum would have to be in the u20 age group.

The Wigan web site says between 2 and 3 games. Does that mean 2 1/2? lol. Well the sending off should count for the 1/2! So it looks like his season is over unless Wigan make the GF or get beat against Catalan.

It wasnt late ? he had passed the ball allready,i most certainly was late.The arm did not hit the shoulder at all,it was a swinging arm direct to the head.As you say it was worthy of a red,2 game ban given his record this year.

Given his recent form we'll be better off without him.

A very stupid act which he now has to deal with the consequences.

This could cost us big, I hope Wane rips pieces off him all week.

Nice to hear the deafening silence from saints fans over Perry's elbow ( normal form) whilst the Wigginers continue their moral crusade to ensure any wiggin player gets his true desserts (normal form) You make me FFin sick!!

I don't understand how Perry isn't getting the same, described as being "nasty" by Eddie. Attack to the head of a player on the floor, clearly seen and captured by TV...

3 games i think and after seeing it on the superleague show no excuses, it was deliberate swinging arm and late

Although i agree with the prevoius post, perry was late and droped the elbow on the head no different to mm

I'd keep Tommy in the halves and have Smith as hooker while MM is out.

the way he has been playing the last month or so we will not miss him.

Smith in and around the ruck may be just what we need to freashen our attacking play.

We will miss MM in defence but with Smith/tommy at 9 there should be more attacking options. He will jump out of dummy half a lot more but this is only good if we 'win the collision' and get a quick play the ball. Saints did what we usually do to teams getting 3 men in the tackle and slowing the ruck down so the defensive line is set ready.
Wigan by 14/16 points on Friday

Without Tommy injured, I have a sneaking suspicion that MM would have been dropped some time ago anyway. The comments on here are interesting. Nobody seems particularly bothered that he's likely to get suspended, which suggests that others feel the same way I do.

I''m glad to see that Wigan fans have become intolerant of thuggish play - if for no other reason than because it leads to red cards, yellow cards etc, which only weaken you on the pitch.

Too many players have been in their comfort zone recently. Since Tommy was hurt, MM appears to have been acting as if there was no-one to replace him. Maybe it's time we looked for someone.

Whilst not a Wigan fan im glad Tommy will get a run out in what is maybe his best position before he leaves,hes a guy i have a lot of respect for,i tough little fella who plays well above his weight.

The biggest question now will probably be whether it's Smith or Leuluai at hooker, or a little bit of both. Wane might go with Smith at hooker but his defence hasn't been great (although it has been reasonably good) and it's McIlorum's defence that is going to take some replacing. Before his injury Leuluai was the only player who could match Leuluai's ability to make crucial cover tackles, although he was doing that from scrum half.
Smith's kicking game is better and he's likely to be better kicking in open field rather than from dummy half.
However since Leuluai has returned to the scrum half role he's been putting some good passes in down the right hand side.

I think alternating Smith and Leuluai at hooker would be the right way to go.

Always thought it was funny how anyone could hear a deafening silence never mind being deafened by it. A stitch in time saves nine, nine what and how do you sew time? I don’t know what his true dessert will be, maybe spotted dick and custard? His just desert will be at least 2, but more likely 3; I just hope he learns by it.

no one is really defending him as he has been playing this way for some time now - back to the old, uncontrolled aggression of previous seasons from him. he should be donating £ to JJ for every penalty he concedes - 3 in 20 mins at hkr was it?

MM has given the impression that he is bullet proof over the last few weeks and his performance levels have dropped over the period of Wee Tam's absence . Comments made by SW about how Logan Tomkins is a good player but is no Mickey Mac have not helped keep MM on his toes at this time . What ever he gets this week from the RFL he deserves in my opinion .

He deserves what he gets, iv been a fan of MM all season but what he did was uncalled for, i think perry should also get the same treatment. Rugby league is a physical game and big hits and hard tackling make for entertaining viewing but running out of the line and blatantly smashing someone and giving a cowardly elbow to the face when the opponent is on the floor should be no part of the game.

Also, i think that smith/leuluai at hooker would give us a new attacking edge and could alter what some feel is our predictable attack

MM should get at least 2 games - and 3 wouldn't be considered too harsh.

I do think Perry's forearm into Lima's head should have warranted a ban as well - another unprovoked, premeditated attack on the head of a defenceless player - really can't see why the disciplinary didn't pick it up - I can guarantee if it was Gareth Hock he would have been in a whole heap of sh*t.

If it was Hock he would have done it properly

I for one am surprised that he hasn't been given any thing for the forearm/elbow to the head of a floored opponent. However this is from the RFL disciplinary site

"Player drops down onto opponent however does not promote forearm, hand is open and first point of contact is onto opponent’s arm"

That's a very strange description of what happened.

He clearly drops on him with his forearm, whether he 'promotes it' doesn't really matter as his who;e body weight is behind it.

The hand being open doesn't really matter - it's not like a swinging arm whilst he's standing up - it's the 18 stone that's behind it and the fact that Lima's head is on the floor with nowhere else to go.

It does seem that there is an agenda to make sure some incidents are treated severely and some not so.

People say that there is more chance of an incident being brought before a disciplinary panel compared to the same incident in a non televised game. I think it is more to do with the muppets who attempt to present the sport. If they make enough noise then it will be brought before the disciplanry panel. If I remember correctly the Perry incident didb't even get mentioned.

Also after watching the trys programme on Sky (the name escapes me atm) I am in agreement with SW, in that, that type of thing has been going on all season and not been penalised. Put tin hat and I didn't think it is as bad as some people make out. I also think that John Kear should be pulled up as he said something along the lines of that it should be a ban. This could have an influence on the judicial commitee.

Three match ban, gone for the season unless we appeal and are successful!

3 matches according to Phil Wilkinson on twitter.

Cannot use an under 20's towards it either.

Effectively a 4 match ban !

Just been announced on Sky Sports News, he has been banned for 3 matches.