Thanks, that seems to be a fairly definitive answer.

You know what? I'm glad it was on national telly. First week in as long as I can remember that people in the office are talking about RL. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating of-the-ball violence as a way of promoting the sport, but it is a pleasant change that RL is the talking point, not some contrived 'scandal' in football because one player looked at another in a funny way.

Were have they said this?

Also, if that's the case, why did Duncan Ferguson get gaoled.

Cant remember where I read it, it was in connection with Louis Suarez second biting offense.

Yep, and the occasional striking incidents, including shocking incidents like that seen on Saturday are "expected" (in that they are in the sporting guidelines) but certainly not condoned. These guidelines are generally accepted by the authorities to be good enough at dealing with these matters as they comply with the tenants of English law. They are a governing body. I expect now the RFL have issued their 6 month ban that the police will drop any charges, especially as the victim has not complained, but of course we will see.

None of this suggests that the acts on the field are outside the law. Simply the way we choose to govern those laws. Any striking of another player is technically an assault, and what Flowers did was possibly even ABH, but the RFL should be the governing body to deal with it. Any suggestion that police should deal with these matters is frankly nonsense in my opinion and sets a dangerous and completely unnecessary precedent for contact sport. Boxing would be done for. Clearly where an incident went above striking to something far more serious, then it would fall over that line as to be inappropriate for a sporting governing body to deal with and to be handled as a police matter.

RFL gave out just about the right sentence, they must now follow up and look at how coaches are inciting violence/recklessness within the sport. That said, listening to many on here explains why our society is so furked up..you don't have to go out on a Fri/Sat night to smash someone in the face and worry about attention from the old bill. Just join a rugby club and swing away, after all, your teams supporters will say, oh bad form but it is rugby you know and 'biff' is expected in every game so it's totally legitmate. If you get even the slightest whiff of a push against you it's totally okay to smash the living crap out of your opponent with such force as to lay them out unconscious before they hit the deck. But hang on, just to make sure, have another crack at doing even more serious injury to the prone, defenceless person..but don't worry because it is rugby league..the family game..the sport were seriously assaulting someone won't get you anything aside from a paid holiday from your job and a few fans giving you a hard time at away matches but many more telling you that you're untouchable by the law because it is rugby league and it's expected init... Utterly ridiculous. Have a look at this CPS article regarding Assault in Sport www.cps.gov.uk/news/articles/cro ... me_speech/ One of the examples given was a GBH against a player for breaking a nose in an off the ball incident.. no need to fret though cos in RL it's all fine & dandy with the supporters, happy to sweep such things under the carpet and forget about it!

RFL gave out just about the right sentence, they must now follow up and look at how coaches are inciting violence/recklessness within the sport. That said, listening to many on here explains why our society is so furked up..you don't have to go out on a Fri/Sat night to smash someone in the face and worry about attention from the old bill. Just join a rugby club and swing away, after all, your teams supporters will say, oh bad form but it is rugby you know and 'biff' is expected in every game so it's totally legitmate. If you get even the slightest whiff of a push against you it's totally okay to smash the living crap out of your opponent with such force as to lay them out unconscious before they hit the deck. But hang on, just to make sure, have another crack at doing even more serious injury to the prone, defenceless person..but don't worry because it is rugby league..the family game..the sport were seriously assaulting someone won't get you anything aside from a paid holiday from your job and a few fans giving you a hard time at away matches but many more telling you that you're untouchable by the law because it is rugby league and it's expected init... Utterly ridiculous. Have a look at this CPS article regarding Assault in Sport www.cps.gov.uk/news/articles/cro ... me_speech/ One of the examples given was a GBH against a player for breaking a nose in an off the ball incident.. no need to fret though cos in RL it's all fine & dandy with the supporters, happy to sweep such things under the carpet and forget about it!

Quote knockersbumpMKII="knockersbumpMKII"RFL gave out just about the right sentence, they must now follow up and look at how coaches are inciting violence/recklessness within the sport. That said, listening to many on here explains why our society is so furked up..you don't have to go out on a Fri/Sat night to smash someone in the face and worry about attention from the old bill. Just join a rugby club and swing away, after all, your teams supporters will say, oh bad form but it is rugby you know and 'biff' is expected in every game so it's totally legitmate. If you get even the slightest whiff of a push against you it's totally okay to smash the living crap out of your opponent with such force as to lay them out unconscious before they hit the deck. But hang on, just to make sure, have another crack at doing even more serious injury to the prone, defenceless person..but don't worry because it is rugby league..the family game..the sport were seriously assaulting someone won't get you anything aside from a paid holiday from your job and a few fans giving you a hard time at away matches but many more telling you that you're untouchable by the law because it is rugby league and it's expected init... Utterly ridiculous. Have a look at this CPS article regarding Assault in Sport www.cps.gov.uk/news/articles/cro ... me_speech/ One of the examples given was a GBH against a player for breaking a nose in an off the ball incident.. no need to fret though cos in RL it's all fine & dandy with the supporters, happy to sweep such things under the carpet and forget about it!'" It's full contact sport. Within the strict definition of the law every ruck is an assault. Players are going out on the pitch to crash into each other, with the best will in the world it is inevitable that aggression will sometimes spill over, that's why we have a disciplinary process in the first place. Far from 'a paid holiday from your job and a few fans giving you a hard time', Flower is now a marked man and every referee will be watching him for the slightest transgression, while every opponent will be trying to wind him up to get him to react. The disciplinary panel have punished him. If the police start getting involved the lawyers will follow and the sport (and every other contact sport) will be done for. You are watching a full contact sport where players are expected to crash into each other, and complaining that it's violent. Now [uthat[/u is utterly ridiculous.

Quote knockersbumpMKII="knockersbumpMKII"RFL gave out just about the right sentence, they must now follow up and look at how coaches are inciting violence/recklessness within the sport. That said, listening to many on here explains why our society is so furked up..you don't have to go out on a Fri/Sat night to smash someone in the face and worry about attention from the old bill. Just join a rugby club and swing away, after all, your teams supporters will say, oh bad form but it is rugby you know and 'biff' is expected in every game so it's totally legitmate. If you get even the slightest whiff of a push against you it's totally okay to smash the living crap out of your opponent with such force as to lay them out unconscious before they hit the deck. But hang on, just to make sure, have another crack at doing even more serious injury to the prone, defenceless person..but don't worry because it is rugby league..the family game..the sport were seriously assaulting someone won't get you anything aside from a paid holiday from your job and a few fans giving you a hard time at away matches but many more telling you that you're untouchable by the law because it is rugby league and it's expected init... Utterly ridiculous. Have a look at this CPS article regarding Assault in Sport www.cps.gov.uk/news/articles/cro ... me_speech/ One of the examples given was a GBH against a player for breaking a nose in an off the ball incident.. no need to fret though cos in RL it's all fine & dandy with the supporters, happy to sweep such things under the carpet and forget about it!'" It's full contact sport. Within the strict definition of the law every ruck is an assault. Players are going out on the pitch to crash into each other, with the best will in the world it is inevitable that aggression will sometimes spill over, that's why we have a disciplinary process in the first place. Far from 'a paid holiday from your job and a few fans giving you a hard time', Flower is now a marked man and every referee will be watching him for the slightest transgression, while every opponent will be trying to wind him up to get him to react. The disciplinary panel have punished him. If the police start getting involved the lawyers will follow and the sport (and every other contact sport) will be done for. You are watching a full contact sport where players are expected to crash into each other, and complaining that it's violent. Now [uthat[/u is utterly ridiculous.

WRONG, you need to read what the law says & understand it not come to some fanciful conclusion because you've watched Rockford files on a Sunday afternoon..


As for the violence, where have I made ANY complaint about 'violence' within our sport, that being the acceptable kind, go on.. crack on mcduff!
i played, I liked to give it hard, I had no qualms about smashing a halfback or a winger but I was always fair/legitimate (that's my nature) I took it back and plenty of that that wasn't fair or legit..I expected that all the same. BUT..there IS a line and when that line is strode over by a mile as in the Flower case then things should be looked at closely as to wether criminal proceedings be followed. But yeah, people like you will just let this type of incident and future ones go with just a slap on the wrist by the RFL and not do anything else about it..
Whatever

Well that is the thing. In boxing there is the expectation that you will get punched. But there are many rules and responsibilities around being granted that freedom. One of which is that the referees decisions are followed and safety is paramount. As long as those type of responsibilities are taken then boxing would be fine.

But if a boxer were to ignore a ref's instruction or were to kneel down above and unconscious opponent, that would quite possibly be dealt with by the authorities.

I dont see why people assume that if action were taken in an exceptional circumstance like this, it would be taken in run of the mill circumstances. It wouldnt. The only precedent being set would be that if you were to commit an exceptionally violent act within a sporting contest, outside of the rules of that sport, and beyond what is reasonably expected within that sport, police action would be taken.

It is actually no different to the principle you confirm, it is simply that you draw the line of 'serious' (as you term it) further along than what Flower did.

Well done for being so patronising, I'm sorry, did I dare to disagree with you?
You commented about an assault being committed. In English law as assault is committed if force is used against a person, or the person has a realistic fear that force is about to be used. There is a defence of reasonableness, if the force used was part of normal social behaviour and widely considered not to be excessive. Sport will use this defence on the basis that someone who has signed up to play contact sport can expect physical contact. However, that defence is open to interpretation, and as wider society do not play the sport, does the tackle fall with accepted social norms of contact? I'm sure the lawyers would love to argue over that one, while charging their normal hourly rate.

Sorry I've no idea who McDuff is, and as I suspect this is more patronising stuff I won't bother googling it.

Yes there is. He crossed it, and has been punished.

No they shouldn't in this case, as it is simply not warranted and opens up a whole can of worms (yes, I'm disagreeing with you).

People like what? Please tell me all about myself, I'm fascinated to find out what I'm like.

He's just been handed the longest ban given out. Not exactly a slap on the wrist.

And more patronising stuff to finish. Do you realise that the thinly disguised swearing and emoticons just make you seem like another angry keyboard warrior?

But if you can reply in a measured manner, answer me this. If you're so keen to see Flower prosecuted, why are you not demanding the police and CPS look at the incident in it's entirety? If you want the criminal law applied on the pitch I would say Ben Flower can mount the defence of provocation from the initial assault by Lance Hohaia. An off-the-ball use of the forearm under the chin is also over the line. The lawyers can then argue over it to their hearts content. All the time with the meter running.

The RFL guidelines draw the line with the grading system.