The penultimate round of Super League has been played but plenty of players will be anxiously waiting today’s disciplinary verdict.
Last week’s disciplinary verdict saw a whopping 23 charges with a total of ten players banned including four for Hull FC, with Jack Ashworth’s seven-match ban the biggest of those handed out.
It’s expected that today’s Match Review Panel will be a lot less busy with far fewer incidents this week but that’s not to say there won’t be bans.
The action started on Thursday when Catalans shocked Leeds Rhinos and won 16-8, something that Leigh Leopards capitalised on when they beat St Helens 28-10 to leapfrog Leeds into third.
Friday also saw Wigan hammer Castleford Tigers, something that’s given them a chance of winning the League Leaders Shield as Hull KR lost 28-12 to Wakefield Trinity on Saturday afternoon.
Hull FC played at the same time, hammering Warrington 34-2 before Sunday’s game saw Huddersfield score three tries in the final ten minutes to beat Salford 22-8.
Who will be sweating the Super League disciplinary verdict?
Catalans Dragons could find a number of players in trouble after their win over Leeds with Romain Navarrete the man to be sin binned, however, two others may also land charges.
Navarrete’s high shot was one of several consecutive penalties from Catalans but perhaps more serious tackles including Jordan Dezaria‘s high shot on Jarrod O’Connor, and Benjamin Garcia‘s tip tackle. The skipper has plenty of points on his record after his red card for punching earlier in the year, so even a Grade A charge would result in a multiple game ban.
Friday night then saw Edwin Ipape, one of the players walking a disciplinary tightrope, sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Daryl Clark. Even a Grade A charge will land the PNG hooker a ban so it’s likely Leigh won’t have him in Round 27.
Another who looks a chance for a ban is Warrington Wolves’ Lachlan Fitzgibbon with the forward sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Sam Eseh, who subsequently failed a HIA.
Eseh being unable to return to the field will add three points to any charge that Fitzgibbon cops so he looks very likely to cop a ban.
Two others who will be sweating it are Tiaki Chan and George Flanagan Jr with both men sent to the sin bin in the 75th minute with Chan seemingly swinging for Flanagan, who was then also punished for an unseen indiscretion.
Of course, a number of other players could attract the attention of the Match Review Panel and as last week showed, bans are becoming more frequent given the fact so many players already have penalty points on their record.
