*** Official Rugby League SLXIX Thread ***

Fuggan said:
Word is that Saints might be pressing charges against Flower.

If they do I think the RFL will have to take a stand and dish out a ~8game ban. If they don't then I think it'll just be a 6 gamer.
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It will be around 12 games I think. One of the worse I've seen and on the biggest stage. I believe he will be helped by the fact that he did lose the plot/see red mist in those few seconds, i.e. clearly not a pre-meditated attack which would've been a lot more severe.
 
I reckon about 12 games would be about right. As long as they don't use pre-season friendlies to burn some of them off. Might be fairer to have a time period ban eg 3 months from the start of the season. I wonder if he would have got a red card for the first punch alone if he hadn't carried through with the totally unacceptable assault? I wouldn't have argued if he'd gone for the first one alone.

The first few minutes of a GF are no time to be a stand off - remember Blake Green getting laid out last season.

This just shows how games are decided in split seconds. If Flower had picked up the knock on cleanly from the kick it would be difficult to see how he wouldn't have scored (pretty close to the posts as well). He didn't and the rest is history. Wigan could never win with 12 men for so long.

Say what you like about the quality of SL, but Sts finished top and then went on to win the GF. They played without half backs for almost half a season and had a coach who was legging it back to Aus at the first possible opportunity. It says a lot for the spirit within the team and they are worthy champions (although that does leave a bad taste in my mouth :))
 
The only way I could possibly try to explain the second punch is to watch it at full speed. I honestly don't think he realised that Hohaia is out cold when he hits him the second time. At full speed there is a split second between the first and second punches imo not enough time to realise he was already out cold.

TBH Hohaia can't complain about being punched the first time, if you forearm someone in the face off the ball expect to get a punch. But the second one whether intentionally done after he was out cold or not deserves at least a 12 game ban.

I think it's ridiculous that the police are talking about getting involved though. Manu Tuilagi didnt get threatened with police action when he lamped Ashton, the only difference is Ashton can take a punch better than Hohaia can.
 
PudWud said:
I think it's ridiculous that the police are talking about getting involved though. Manu Tuilagi didnt get threatened with police action when he lamped Ashton, the only difference is Ashton can take a punch better than Hohaia can.
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Hohaia won't press charges anyway so it really doesn't matter. They're tough blokes.
 
physichull said:
Hohaia won't press charges anyway so it really doesn't matter. They're tough blokes.
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Absolutely true. But the incident in itself was stupid, he cost Wigan the game. IMO Wigan would have won comfortably, obviously there is no way of ever knowing and nobody could complain about St Helens winning. They won it fair and square.
 
Even if Hohaia doesn't press charges the Police can still take action if they want to. My mate was involved in a fight on the pitch, he's a big lad at 6'4" and 17 stone, he hit a lad with a right cross, broke his left cheek bone and hit him that hard that the lads right eye socket fractured too from the concussive force. He got 12mths suspended for ABH, it was the club who reported him, not the lad he hit.

I think it will be at least 12 matches. Pudwud, if you take the route that he was ok to throw the first one after getting an elbow, what about flowers starting it all in back play by taking Hohaia out?
 
kefkef said:
Even if Hohaia doesn't press charges the Police can still take action if they want to. My mate was involved in a fight on the pitch, he's a big lad at 6'4" and 17 stone, he hit a lad with a right cross, broke his left cheek bone and hit him that hard that the lads right eye socket fractured too from the concussive force. He got 12mths suspended for ABH, it was the club who reported him, not the lad he hit.

I think it will be at least 12 matches. Pudwud, if you take the route that he was ok to throw the first one after getting an elbow, what about flowers starting it all in back play by taking Hohaia out?
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12 matches would be more appropriate, given what Travis Burns got for his high "shot" in the NRL.
 
Interesting international weekend.

England looked very rusty but just had enough to beat Samoa. If Samoa had some half backs, they'd be a tough team to beat. I'd be surprised if Farrel and Joel Tomkins keep their places for the next game.

Australia looked very dodgy. I can't remember seeing them dominated by another team like that. They will still probably stick 30+ on us next weekend though :( NZ were excellent. Their bench made a massive impact when they came on

48,000 on. More than the Aus v All Blacks game a couple of weeks ago.
 
Fuggan said:
Bailey to Hull KR for 2 years! :eek::eek::eek:
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I know....talk about a bolt from the blue.

In fact, two bolts from the blue as Costigan has seemingly moved back to Australia, got on the plane, got off the plane, then told the club he wasn't coming back!

Not sure about the Bailey one. He is a good player but his temperament is always questionable. What is not questionable are his achievements whilst being at Leeds....so overall a good signing.
 
Ooooooffff just seen the highlights of the AU's v Eng game. It was the finest of margins but you could argue that Ryan Hall had scored that try. Decent game but you can't help but think that whilst the scoreline was close and it was a good Eng performance, AU's team was far from full strength.

I might be a bit biased here, but I thought Eng were excellent when Josh Hodgson was on the field then fell apart when Clarke came on. James Graham, awesome!
 
You'd have been gutted if the Ryan Hall 'try' had been awarded against England in the last minute. I think it was a fair call. I've seen them given and not given. I think the ref let the ptb get really messy and slow in the 2nd half which played more into their hands - Clarke and Hodgson both thrive on quick ball. There was a few dodgy borderline hits on the kickers as well that wouldn't have gone unpunished over here.

I agree with physichull about how understrength the Aussies were. This was a golden chance. I wonder how many of our players genuinely think that they can beat them? I worry that too many of them think that however far ahead they get that they will still get caught
 
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