Harry Siejka will be missing. Submitted an EGP and got a 2 match ban. Bulls confirmed Williams is appealing his charge.

I'm curious as to the grounds that Williams is appealing on. The charge is repeated punching which is what he did. I can't see there being sufficient mitigation for that to alter the outcome.

Could there have been racist comments?

Have to say it seems strange on the face of it. Presumably he's 'taken advice'?

I dare say he was provoked - there was a lot of it going on - but it's quite normal for the one, "taking his revenge", to be the one who is caught. Not to mention, there is 'getting your own back' and there is going too far. I guess he could claim that many others were doing the same and didn't get charged, but that has never counted for anything before and I can't see it doing so now.

Surely saying you were provoked doesn't alter the fact that he did throw a few punches? I can't see them reducing the ban for that.

What's Danny's past record like? Perhaps that might be the grounds for appeal? Maybe trying to just knock it down to a B or an A charge.

Higson for Leigh has submitted an EGP like Siejka, but I didn't see anything for the other Leigh player. McNally was it? Perhaps he is contesting too.

Given higsons out injured for longer than biggest suspension he could get, surely he'd have been better saving EGP to use later in season and just taking the ban?.

I don't think you can save it, I believe that you only qualify the first time in a 12 month period that you are cited. EGP just means that he doesn't have to attend the hearing.

Given that there is evidence that Williams was attacked from behind and with such force that Higson broke his hand; I wonder if the defence is extreme provocation or self defence.

Correct. You use the EGP or lose it.

I thought you could only use an EGP once during a 12m period?

Other Leigh player was T Goulden.

Downgraded from repeated punching! We must have a decent lawyer

You can only use an EGP if you haven't had any previous guilty verdicts in the last 12 months. So I you'd have to be either fairly confident of having the grading reduced or thrown out all together to not use it. As it turns out, he has successful had the grading reduced due to lack of evidence so now only misses 1 match.

Good news

You do have to wonder, if there was no evidence that he threw repeated punches, who decided to charge him with that in the first place, and where did they get it from?

He admitted throwing the first punch, which we all knew he did, so got a match ban for that. So where did this repeated punching allegation come from, if there's no evidence whatsoever to suggest it happened?