Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:44 am  

I think the bottom line is that what Knowles did doesn’t look great but didnt carry an unacceptable risk of injury (or indeed any risk of injury) and wasn’t a Grade B charge. I suspect has he been charged with a Grade A with a different justification the ban would have stuck.

If you think about it rationally - player holds player’s arm in a tackle in a way that is annoying but not dangerous, but could have been dangerous had he used any force or leverage, but he didn’t.

He’s picked up a yellow card for something that had he behaved differently could have been dangerous, but he didn’t.

He’s then picked up a grade B and two match ban for something that had he behaved differently could have been dangerous, but he didn’t.

I think in those circumstances the most obvious comparison is when a player looks about to lift a player over the horizontal but then doesn’t, it’s not a ban because he almost does something dangerous.

I’d almost rather he’d been banned to be honest - just to avoid the controversy detracting from the game. But in a game that already had numerous sub-plots we now have another at least . . . . .

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:45 am  

Swoggy Loiner wrote:

From what I can gather, Saints took a sports scientist to the second appeal and he’s basically said whilst pressure was put on the joint, there was no realist chance of 'serious' injury.

So basically, that’s my verdict as a professional so you can’t argue with it. They’ve just crumbled and it’s pathetic.

Opened up a massive can of worms this now

We’ll see in the minutes I guess. I doubt it was about “serious” injury - it will be about risk of any injury.

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:45 am  

Swoggy Loiner wrote:

From what I can gather, Saints took a sports scientist to the second appeal and he’s basically said whilst pressure was put on the joint, there was no realist chance of 'serious' injury.

So basically, that’s my verdict as a professional so you can’t argue with it. They’ve just crumbled and it’s pathetic.

Opened up a massive can of worms this now

Double post

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:08 am  

Sickening this, RFL looking corrupt and inept.

I hope we are considering legal action both for our treatment this year which is clearly now prejudice against us, and a legal block against Knowles playing in the GF

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:15 am  

rollin thunder wrote:

Sickening this, RFL looking corrupt and inept.

I hope we are considering legal action both for our treatment this year which is clearly now prejudice against us, and a legal block against Knowles playing in the GF

As much as I think this decision is utterly farcical, the club just need to get on with it, winning it would be even sweeter now.

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:17 am  

I'd imagine most neutrals in the ground on Saturday will voice their support for leeds now.

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:08 am  

christopher wrote:

As much as I think this decision is utterly farcical, the club just need to get on with it, winning it would be even sweeter now.

Correct. Squads today. Hoping for some good news.

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:09 am  

What RL player has a "normal" range of movement in their shoulder. I would say 70-80% could not naturally put their arm in the position Atkin's had his arm put into due to shoulder injuries.

How many more cm's did Knowles need to lift Atkin's arm before it exceeded the "normal" range of movement. Will referees be taking a ruler and protractor onto the field before assessing any future chicken wing tackles to ensure the RFL's credibility?

The simple fact that Knowles performed a chicken wing tackle should have been sufficient for a ban as every players body would or could react differently to that sort of illegal tackle. It is not up to the judiciary to speculate whether it could or could not cause injury as every player would react differently to their arm being placed in an unnatural position.

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:13 am  

The first time we tackle Lomax we should bend his arm behind his back and dislocate his shoulder. Give away a penalty but take Lomax out of the game, there’s no way they could give anything more than a penalty for that now.

Re: SL GF | St Helens (Old Trafford) : Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:25 am  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

The first time we tackle Lomax we should bend his arm behind his back and dislocate his shoulder. Give away a penalty but take Lomax out of the game, there’s no way they could give anything more than a penalty for that now.

Dear me. Surely you don't really mean that?