Sky Sports pundit Sam Tomkins has hit out at Hull FC after their defeat to rivals Hull KR, labelling their discipline as ‘grubby’ before suggesting that a number of players could be getting banned.
That’s something that the Match Review Panel will determine on Monday with a number of players sure to be anxious about what the verdict will be.
Two Hull FC players were sent to the sin bin in their 18-4 defeat but it’s arguably one of those who avoided a card that could be in the most trouble with Jack Ashworth seen to throw a swinging arm towards the head of Mikey Lewis as the Man of Steel lay on the floor.
Sky Sports commentator Jon Wells labelled it “disgusting”, comparing it as something closer to ‘assault’ than what you would see on a rugby league pitch.
Post-match, his colleague Jon Wilkin questioned the actions, stating: “I think Rapana and Ashworth’s challenges towards the end are reckless like there is no tomorrow, as if that was the clifftop and that they were going to leave a mark on Hull KR.
“They’ve got two really big games still to come, they could be in the play-offs.”
‘Grubby’ Hull FC actions could come back to bite them, claim pundits
Sitting just one point behind Wakefield Trinity and a place in the play-offs, Hull FC are still a very live chance at making the top six and that is what Brian Carney highlighted as he also questioned why the Black and Whites went down such a reckless route.
He explained: “They’re trying to scrape players together and this is why I found the end of the game so surprising from a Hull FC side who still have got so much to play for this season.”
Sam Tomkins didn’t pull any punches as he added: “They got into that grubby stuff as if it was the last game of the year or as if they were already in 11th position.
“They’ve got two massive weeks ahead of them and if you’re losing players through some real dumb sort of grubby plays, then that’s a coach killer.
“They’re already struggling with injuries and you’re going to be getting people banned as well.
“I don’t think it was very smart from the Hull FC team in the last 10 minutes.”
After Jon Wilkin suggested that it should or could have been a tactic that Hull FC used early on to try and stop Hull KR getting into a grind, Brian Carney noted: “You can do it to a certain point but some of that went well over the line.”
As well as Ashworth’s swinging arm, Jordan Rapana had a late and high shot on Arthur Mourgue whilst Yusuf Aydin had earlier committed a hip drop tackle on the French full-back, with both incidents resulting in sin bins.
A brave effort from the Black & Whites as we go down 18-4 in East Hull.
— Hull FC (@hullfcofficial) September 7, 2025
