Faxlore wrote:
For me Bobby getting a ban is ridiculous. Watching the game again, yes he does hit the player after the ball is passed but it there is nothing in it.
It's down to the current application of the rules. There was been a severe clamping down towards the end of last season - remember Tom Holmes getting binned for, at worst, a push in the back in the play-off game against Fax? -and the RFL announced new and more severe penalties a couple of weeks ago for striking, head-butting, kicking and late hits.
That's why there have been a flood of charges for late hits in the pre-season games so far. To be honest the Fairbank case would have been an open-and-shut one, he's still two or three feet away from the player after the ball has gone.
I think more of an eye-opener is the grade D charges put on James Clare and Liam Harris from the York v Cas game, that looked like handbags pretty much and was mostly pushing and shoving but the committee judged that both players landed blows on the opponent's head and that's going to cop a big ban from now on. With players now facing 11 days out in the return-to-play protocols for failing a concussion test, the RFL are keen to clamp down on any incidents which could lead to concussions.
The RFL are very mindful of what their clinical advisory group tells them and concussion is a very hot and potentially litigious issue, so regardless of what fans or players think this is how it's going to be.
