If he hadn't of slipped though he wouldnt have been hit in the head. Still (and i dont agree with it but) shoulder charges are now banned

Re Wello. He shouldn't have given MM the forearm to the face, but MM shouldn't have bit him either.

We're not playing wendyball, if you give someone a forearm you can't whinge if he retaliates

You certainly can complain if you are bitten.

If contact Is made to the head, it doesn't matter how it happened but it's foul play. If let's say Sia is going to put a big shot on but the player side steps and Sia takes his head off because he stepped, does that make it ok ?

IF McIlorum has definitely and deliberately bitten Wellens then he deserves a long ban.

Agreed but IMO it's not conclusive.


Do you think he did it ?

Too right I believe, after all its Easter........

Plus anyone who can live in wigan and not eat when food is put in front of them,
meat in a wrap must be very tempting.

I honestly don't know, I've watched again a couple of times and from those camera shots you can't tell. Wellens certainly goes at McIlorum with the forearm but whether there was a bite I'm not sure. I would think the RFL will and should look at it. Maybe there are different camera angles which will show what happened conclusively, let's wait and see.

Typically example was last season with Meli on the Hull K R winger, Meli clothes lined him after being side stepped, not sure how many matches he got.
Its the responsibility of the defender to make sure there is no contact with the head, it doesn't matter if the attacker ducks down, slips, jumps, side steps etc its all down to first point of contact. As Shirley was put on report I think they will look at the intention and opportunity to avoid the head area, Bowen set the standard early on in the season towards what Wigoon can get away with..............in this instance, no intent warning about tackling technique.

I think you missed my cryptic jest. Don't think anything will come of it to be honest. Seem to remember 5 mins before the incident MM trapped Wello's arm as he was trying to play the ball and it boiled up from there, hence the arm in the face.

Totally agree with your point " if contact is made to the head it doesn't matter how it happened it's foul play".

Be interesting to see how many matches Wellens gets for leading maliciously with the elbow/forearm into an opponents face .... a cheap shot that could easily have broken MM's jaw.

Such a shame it wasn't leading with the forearm then for your argument isn't it really. In fact wellens forearm was facing his own posts - hardly "leading maliciously"

That's fair enough as long as SOL and MM get their bans then it's fair.

I'd say leaning with the forearm will have slightly less ban than taking someone's head off and someone actually having a bite on a arm.


Wello - £300 fine

MM - 8 match ban

SOL - 3 match ban.

have you re watched that match yet? his arm hit the players head on the ground its hardly as if he has shoulder or elbowed the player intentionally. Also that comparison to the Meli tackle is completely stupid not even close to being the same.

We all know players never get punished for leading with a forearm just as its impossible to say McIlorum bite wellens on purpose as his forearm was being pushed into his face.

don't believe anybody will be banned.

Yes nobody will get banned. I remember the Bowen tackle that went without a ban

O'Loughlins was very similar to Soliolas v Wire in Saints first game of the season.

it doesn't matter if it's intentional biting or not. Even with wellens arm in his face, there is no requirement for his mouth to be open, or to clamp onto it (as is wellens reaction) - you can dress it up all you like, as intentional, not intentional, mm fancied a bite to eat and temporarily forgot he wasn't in a diner - they all carry E-F charges. "Accidental" biting (whatever that is, and I suppose what your claiming it is) will still be in the E grade. If wellens makes a complaint to the match commissioner at half time, that is the grade he should be facing.