Don't think so, it'll be interesting what happens when they do. It could have a big impact on whether others follow their lead.

I don't really like the whole idea of pleading guilty without a hearing. So far it appears that admitting you're guilty automatically guarantees a ban. If you happen to go up to Red Hall you run the risk of getting much worse. We all know how inconsistent the disciplinery committee is so maybe clubs are afraid of putting their case?

I agree that if it was a shot against one of our players we'd probably be looking for blood.

i think they've had to deem it as dangerous as Elima made a fair point to Silverwood at the time that he hadn't actually blown his whistle to stop play so therefore he was entitled to "play-on".

IMO that would have been fine had he not then deliberately tried to knock the guys head off... hence the dangerous charge.

By definition for anything other than a grade A offence they have to give a ban. Early plea guidelines say they can only give minimum ban from the range allowed for that grade. They don't have option of fines or warning letters for anything above a grade A if I'm reading guidelines correctly.

Rule 2.9 in the Sentencing Guidlines COULD give a get-out for the panel to step outside of the guidelines AND below, due to mitigating factors.

I'd not want to put any bets on eligible mitigating factors here, though.

And this "early guilty" plea business is just the same as accepting a fixed motoring offence penalty, instead of going up before the beak and risking getting a hammering at the top end of the sentencing options - for having the temerity to contest the charge and wasting the court's time in search of justice. As far as I can see?

Seems that way.

Can he plea? When was his last ban?

Feb 2010.

Disco.

Let's face it, he's going to get a ban for this. It's just inevitable that it will be perceived as worthy of a ban, even though it didn't look all that bad to me at the time.

Might as well make the early plea and accept the one match ban. I think we can manage without him for Salford, especially if Langley can come in.

Can Elima take an early guilty plea?

Yeah. Only thing that prevents that I think is if you've picked up a ban in the 12 months before.