FNP Disciplinary : Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:01 pm
As expected, Sarginson, Isa & Mossop all got off the charges at the Goon supporting RFL nonpunitive tribunal.LMS gets charged with "player unnecessarily taps face of opponent (FPN)". What a joke, you couldn't make it up. It's not even an offence, there are no charging or penalty guidelines. Apparently this is classed as "other contrary behavior". Decision was no charge.
FNP gets charged with a) Pulling LMS's hair whilst LMS is on the floor. Unbelievably he gets no charge for this and:
b)Punching LMS - reaction to opponent !!. FNP pleads not guilty and claims it was not a punch and "more of a push"
FNP submits that "the opponent (LMS) approaches FNP in an aggressive manner and touches his face in a provocative manner"
The tribunal finds him guilty with a fine and 1 match ban.
However, the tribunal also says in its summing up and rationale that "it is accepted the opponent (LMS) is aggressive and provoking the player (FNP). Idiots.
More strange is that it mentions two other incidents which it says have been dealt separately (by the tribunal). Firstly the hair pulling - see above. The second is when "the opponent (LMS) is in the line awaiting to receive the ball when it is knocked down (??) and the opponent is "taken off the ball".
I've looked and there is no evidence that the tribunal even considered this second incident where LMS was taken out. Why no charge ?
This is important as this was the incident which led to the other ones.
Obviously to the goons relief there is no conception by the Tribunal of a cumulative effect and that the 3 offences / incidents should actually be viewed as one "incident" for which he would have and deserved to have received a much bigger ban.