Both Walsh and Thompson have been charged with a Grade C offence for a dangerous throw and a shoulder charge respectively, so we could be without both of them for the next 2-3 matches. (goons, Hull and Cas).
I think Walsh will get a 2 match ban but in mitigation he did not "throw the opponent (Albert) into the ground" - he lifted him slightly beyond the horizontal and the just let go and dropped him. So either not guilty or a 2 match ban.
Thompson got the Cats more agitated and his charge is "shoulder charge, secondary contact with the head of an attacking player (Horo)." Again with a 2-3 match tariff if found guilty.
It looked bad the first time I looked at it but it was clear the head clash was accidental and that the main injury to poor old Horo was him going backwards over his own leg through the force of the collision. Add to that the alleged shoulder charge which Sky made a big deal of.
However in the Sky slo-mo Thompson went in with his position "open", i.e. parallel with Horo's body position and not leading with his left shoulder so any suggestion of a shoulder charge is open to interpretation. When I "slo-mo'd" the Sky slo mo (and I assume the Disciplinary Panel does something similar; almost frame by frame, it looked even more a complete accident.
The whole incident was made worse by the Sky lot and the inflammatory comments by the Cantona look-a-like French coach.
Tellingly both players have decided not to use their EGP's indicating they both believe to be not guilty.
Finger's crossed
