Should Greater Manchester Police be feeling his collar?

I don't think it's quite that bad as the precedent it would set (for this sport) is risky territory.

That said the second punch is a shocker and I hope the RFL throw the book at him. It's funny seeing people try to justify it. There's no mitigation for straddling a player that's half the size of you and already knocked out to lineup a punch.

Also for a prop forward to do that to a half back that's half the size of you shows Flower up as a total pussy.

Compare that to what Burgess did last week. Total pussy is Flower every prop on the league will be targeting him now because he's shown himself up for being soft.

That was the first time I can remember when I actually squirmed when I saw that second punch. I did think that if that had been outside the stadium he would be facing a judge next month and rightly so. It begs the question in all sport. If a policeman had been stood on the edge of the terrace right next to the incident by law he should have arrested him. Does that mean we can get away with thuggery if we are wearing a sports kit and it happens on grass? If it happens in the tunnel is that different?

This is a very tricky situation but this incident will open the debate as millions saw flower commit a crime in public but will get away with it because it is under the umbrella of sport. His first punch in my mind was understandable after Ohia's elbo. It was that sickening second attack that he should never be allowed to forget. It will stain the rest of his career - and rightly so. I also remember Wanes last words before the game started "We will do whatever is needed to win the game" and "winning is more important than anything else". Did he send Flower out too wound up? Does this reflect badly on the coach?

Unfortunately, last nights game will bring back the name of Thugby League which it had a few decades ago. Great win by Saints but the game loses out badly because of this.

I read the thread on the virtual terrace before seeing the clip. I just thought this will be a bad one but people will be going a bit OTT about it.

But then I saw the clip and realised it wasn't biff, it was real thuggery. I can see why people were having kittens and getting their claws out for said pussy.

did anyone see barrow police tweet something dry like "if anyone tonight tries to act like ben flower, they'll find themselves locked up in barrow" presumably pronounced barra.

It was bad, beyond bad in truth. If he'd done that outside a club there's no doubt he'd be seeing a magistrate this morning. Sport does seem to live in its own little bubble though. As a layman, I've no real idea what the legal position is but I'd suspect a crime is a crime and I doubt the referees and the RFL disciplinary have got a franchise to cover the happenings in our grounds, though I wouldn't be shocked to hear that Cameron and Theresa May were working on some such proposal..

This would only become a Police matter if the victim made a complaint. Can't see that happening so a lengthy ban should result. Ben Flowers will receive summary justice on the field when he is next able to play.

That's vigilantism though, and is just as reprehensible as the initial offence. In fact it's maybe worse as it's premeditated.

Not 100% certain the police would need the victim, as there is plenty of evidence available, even without his witness statement.

Knocking someone to the ground then punching them again when they're laying prone is common assault.

There's no justification for what happened last night. Flowers struck with intent to seriously injure a fellow player.

IMO he should get a ban comparable to the one Terry Newton got back in 2005 for the incidents with Lee Gilmour and Sean Long , which I believe was 12 games? And Newton could at least argue that they were both wayward tackles. They were not balled fists to a prone man

Give him two separate charges one for the first punch one for the second.

4 (3 with the sending off) for the first and 8 for te second. You could give Hohaia a warning letter then for running in off the ball.

The amount of tears would flood Wigan ha ha

Having attended the final yesterday it was unclear how bad it was until we got home. The big screen didn't show a clear replay so I wasn't 100% on what had gone on. I've watched it a few times this morning. It gets worse and worse the more I watch. The biggest punishment for Flower is knowing that he's embarrassed himself and his club on the grandest stage.

Do the RFL make an example of him or not. That's up to them I suppose.

instagram.com/p/tmv_xuncIV/ "Knock people out. I can't give you any more free rein than that. Create f*cking mayhem" Oh Shaun...

instagram.com/p/tmv_xuncIV/ "Knock people out. I can't give you any more free rein than that. Create f*cking mayhem" Oh Shaun...

He's a classy bloke. If you whip your players up to the point that they play recklessly and with thuggery then you aren't a particularly talented coach.

Again it's the difference between a hard man coaching his team to be gritty and uncompromising, versus coaching people to park whatever skills they have and just have a rampage.

Doesn't happen often, but I'm embarrassed to be RL fan right now.
When I go into work on Monday, the sport I love will be ripped to shreds by the football supporting morons I work with. How am I supposed to defend any of what went on last night?

Not only was the punch one of the worst instances of voilence I've ever seen in over 20 years of watching the sport, but to see the rest of the game pan out the way it did also depresses me.

Saints were poor, awful in fact. They have been without playmakers for weeks and had their only creative player taken out early, so it's not their fault. But what I find disppointing is that they actually made it to the GF in such a sorry state, and then actually lifted the trophy with some of the most inept and one dimensional attacking play you're ever likely to see.

Castleford were a huge let down when it mattered. Leeds were also a complete disaster in the final rounds of the season. Catalan tried their best but ultimately fell short.
Coupled with the awful attendances and one sided scorelines, the entire end to this season has been a total letdown for me, the only highlight being the semi final between Wigan and Wire.

Such a deflating end to the current league system, let's hope 2015 and the changes it brings actually improve our game, but I'm not holding my breath.

Horrible to watch, and unfortunately seems to be a recurring theme in grand finals to get a hit in on a playmaker early doors. Both Blake green and Kevin sinfield been victims of cheap shots in recent years before last night's incident