Is there an avenue for hargreaves to appeal his red card now? To get it off his record?

Yes that was my thought that the ref made a mistake in who committed the offence. My point is say Hargreaves had been the offender, the sending off may have reduced any punishment he received but the surely the same can't be applied to L'estrange since he wasn't sent off?

This means we get Hargreaves sent off, and has a red card on his record, for an offence he didn't commit and L'estrange not able to argue for a reduced ban on the grounds of already being sent off because he wasn't.

Ref's make mistakes, it's part of the game, but there must be a route to correct that post game.

How come he would miss two games for an early guilty plea when everyone else misses one?

does it mean ref gets suspended for one match as did the one that couldnt count to 6

because it depends on grade of the charge. everyone who used early guilty so far has only had a grade B (1-2 matches). Early guilty means you automatically get the lower end of charge range. In L'estranges case its a grade C (2-3) hence a 2 match ban.

I see. That makes sense.

Hargreaves surely has to have his red rescinded now though. Surely.

If L'estrange had been given the red card during the match - am I right in thinking he then would not be eligible for the "early plea" as he had the red card on his record.

He would then have to go to the disciplinary for the grade C offence (2-3 matches) but could point to the fact he already had missed a part of a match.

Trust the Bulls to find the only way to make things unclear...

I think everyone did in the moment. The Leeds players running in ran straight past Stranger to Hargreaves.

that would mean RFL admitting a ref made a mistake, which whilst not unheard of is pretty rare. And even when thy do admit a mistake they dont do anything to retrospectively correct it.

Except, as someone just mentioned, in the case of Alibert, for not being able to count to six.

You can't retrospectively change things, but he should have it struck from his record.

Once it's done it's done. He's exonerated as far as future disciplinary hearings go so in practical terms he has had it stricken from the record. They can say what they like about the sending off itself and whether it was valid or not but in that game he was sent from the field.

As far as I can see in guidelines a red card doesnt block you from using early guilty plea. Its only punishments issued by disciplinary commitee that count not ones awarded on the field.

Heath can take an early guilty plea if he chooses as he hasn't been found guilty of any charges in the previous 12 months. The RFL have already acknowledged that Bryn wasn't guilty and shouldn't have been sent off.

Looks like Diskin and Addy to share dummy half duties then.

If Sammut is out Addy will be needed at half-back....