I think it was important that he didn't appeal.

Thought that would be the case, noted that Ferres said HE was considering appealing, not the club. As well as carrying on the anger about the tackle it would've been a major surprise if they reduced it so completely pointless on that front too.

I completely agree

I know he pleaded guilty straight away, but appealed the grading (hoping for an E >D) before the hearing. I hadn't seen he was planning on appealing afterwards?

I assume the panel start in the middle of the range - 6 matches, then deducted one for early guilty plea, added one for serious injury caused and his prior disciplinary record was neither good enough for a reduction or severe enough for an additional match?

Hopefully Gildart makes a full recovery.
My only criticism of the incident was allowing him back on the field? For a player consistently complaining of neck pain, his neck can't be cleared without imaging. As far as I know, the only rugby stadium in the country with an Xray machine in the medical room is Twickenham....

The club have always previously said they never get involved in the decision to appeal. It's a player's right and a player's choice.

One other thing i note from Mc.D's interview he didn't openly hammer Ferres like he did Singleton wrt letting the Club down.

I noticed that too and wondered the difference

Hardly a hammering him by saying he let his teammates down. He also called him "one of most decent standup honest guys coming through the game"'and "cheap shots aren't what he's about".......but people ignore that part.

The difference is that Ferres wasn't a calculated act but careless at best. Singo's was a deliberate act. IMO

Spot on, it's because of the end result of the player on the receiving end in both instances that cloud people's judgement. Had Gildart been able to play on but Greg Bird stretched off then might change people's opinion.

Hang on Ferres has a duty of care just as Singleton did both equally as stupid & reckless as each other thats straight forward.
Both have incurred long bans which leave the Club short on numbers & both equally culpable for their actions.

First tackle up after a said to?
Ferres may not have intended to injure but he had a duty of care once he had Gildart in that position even if it was a split second just as Singleton had a split second to lower his forearm.

Ferres' actions were as calculated as Singletons. Neither of them may have foreseen the actual damage they were doing, but both had intent. You simply can't bend a player's neck that way without knowing its likely to cause extreme discomfort at best. To be supposedly ignorant of the potential risk is no excuse.

As an aside I can't recall a Leeds player getting a ban as long as 6 matches before two in one season.

Not really. Many, maybe most, posters had expressed their opinions before the extent of Gildart's injury was known (if indeed it is even now).

Unless I have overlooked it the nature or extent of gildarts injury has not been revealed.On sky last night it was mentioned it was a severe back injury.
Phil Clarkes injury as he mentioned was damage to c 4 disc this forced him to give up the game. If Gildart has damaged discs he may be out for longer than 3 months. Anyway good luck to the lad hope he recovers asap.