Briers should have got 2 matches, one for throwing a punch because he can't take being tackled and one for how patheic the said punch was! Really it is the gutless/clueless Refs that are to blame, 10 minutes in the bin would have sorted it no problem!

No not at all. There is a perfectly radical explanation for this. Briers did indeed run in from some distance but as we all know he is famed for his legendary pace capable of deceiving both the eye and the camera and giving the illusion of being stood next to ablett all along. In fact it is probably this speed which caused a vortex twisting abletts body back towards lee and forcing his arm to be rise as if he had intended to guard against the punch.

I'd hazzard a guess that if for instance I met you in the street and you were looking at me and I lamped you one in the face, I think it would be fair of you to say "he caught me off guard" as I doubt you would be expecting such a greeting, in probably the same way he caught Ablett "off guard".

Just a thought

Disciplinary responses do seem to be closely aligned to the quality of the punch; Justin Poore has laid out Ryan Bailey and Liam Farrell in almost identical circumstances this season and been dismissed from the field on both occasions.

Either Mr Child bottled it, or the officials have been told to go easy on the biff during the play-offs; time will tell. If you've got a game this weekend and an EGP in the back-pocket, fire away - you appear to be safe.

Do you think the fact it was a half back attacking a forward (much bigger than him) had an effect on the ref's decision?

Did the faux outraged Sky Sports commentary team tell you to say that?

Would it change your answer if you thought they had?

I do not take cues from the faux outrage of Eddie, Stevo and Co whose job it is to over-egg their dismal and increasingly sanitised SL product by generating controversy where none ought to exist. If the trivial Briers incident really did warrant a suspension, it really is time to pack in as a contact sport.

Clearly you... like so many lickspittle fans of Sky's failing SL product these days... do exactly that.

So you would agree the refereeing of the incident was inconsistent from previous offences this season?

Fair point also, that said in his chosen proffession where the idea is to get your opponent to the ground on every occasion maybe not.

being thrown to the floor via the face shortly followed by the collar isn't in the bounds of normal behaviour though, don't you think?

I would agree that the play-offs ought to be treated as a different competition to the usual sanitised regular season tripe on offer, and that includes the way in which even trivial incidents are interpreted and administered.

Feel free to boo Briers next time you see him.

I'll scold Ablett for his inherent cowardice instead.

I have no idea - do you?

If it did, then that's another error chalked up to Mr Child isn't it? Unless there's a secret rule book somewhere requiring officials to mentally assign a weight category to each player before assessing their on-field behaviour, I don't see the relevance. If it were relevant, every player could Big Eorl and Ian Kirke with impunity, since they're probably bigger than everyone around them. Conversely, 'Little' Robbie Burrow could windmill at anyone, without fear of disciplinary sanction.