If it's a 1 match ban would he just serve it against Italy in the friendly? A game the GF players were unlikely to play a big part in anyway.

I cannot imagine that just a 1 match ban would be sufficient, but let's wait until the charge and outcome

I'm not too sure in all honesty. Wasn't there a similar issue with Graham last season? If he got a very long ban, then McNamara would replace him from the squad, so none of the England games would count towards his ban. I think he will still be in the squad as I don't think he'll get a ban long enough for the whole tournament.

I think it's at least a 4 game ban. But can only see him getting 1.

What sort of message does this blatant act of cowardly,thuggery and violence send out to all the kids we are trying to get involved in the game.If you are a parent would you want your child to be involved in a game where this type of behaviour goes unpunished.The fact that its been carried out by one of the games big name players and a current England international makes it even worse.
The RFL have to set an example and be the leaders of the sport they are supposed to be regardless of how it would impact on Englands chances in the World Cup.

Disgusting cheap shot and he deserves a ban. I'd respected wire for always playing good Rugby but not after last night. Mike Cooper wasn't exactly squeaky clean either but to punch a player who has no way of defending himself like that in the face is as cowardly as it gets.

What about standing over over a player taunting them after they've just suffered a serious injury? Would you class that as cowardly?

Why, who did that?

Think he means roy keane/haaland???

I genuinely don't know what you're referring to but I'm sure I'll shortly be given a reminder.

What that has to do with what what Westwood did last night is beyond me though.

Especially as they are all fully trained orthopaedic surgeons and would have been aware of the severity of the injury. Oh wait, no, you need a scan for that... Pilchard...

One thing we can learn from union is how to deal with vicious, cowardly assaults on players, if he was a union player I doubt it would be less than 10 games, more 10 months.

I agree. Rugby league is a very tough sport. At the top level it can be brutal, just look at the state of origin or NRL grand final. What happened yesterday though does the game no favours. A forward punching a half back in the head in that manner. It's like a heavy weight boxer punching a bantamweight from behind when the round has finished and hes walking back to his corner. No one wants to see it and it should be dealt with severely.

There was plenty of cameras, a vid ref and word should have been sent to Silverwood about the seriousness of the incident and a red card shown.

The entire sporting culture in this country is soft. You would think from reading this thread that you were all soccer fans who were watching your first game of rugby league.

Westwood should absolutely be in the team, and he should rough up the opposition too.

You think Aus or NZ wouldn't pick Gallen, Smith, JWH etc because they'll throw the odd cheap shots?

Assuming we don't have a bunch of weak SL refs in charge of our games then the boys are okay to grub it up a little bit. NRL refs turn a blind eye to the dirty stuff in big games, you only have to look at origin or previous internationals to see that (everyone was crying about Issac Luke ankle twist, Tony Williams high shot, Jeremy Smith elbow last Four Nations, if you think back to it. According to SL fans they were all red card incidents even though they only drew penalties)

Was a minor incident. A 1 game ban is fair enough. Forwards having cheap digs in the tackle isn't unheard of. Case in point, I haven't heard anybody mention the fact that number 20 for Wigan went in with a sly closed-fit of his own the next time Westwood took the ball up. Because Westwood wasn't concussed we're supposed to pretend it didn't happen? These things happen frequently, no biggie, it's part and parcel of the sport. Deserves punishment when it goes wrong, that's the risk you take, but it's not the rare act of thuggery it's being made out to be, it just happened to, unfortunately, result in an injury.

The faux outrage from commentators and fans is bewildering. The real controversy is that the so-called medical professionals and referees in charge of the game allowed a blatantly concussed player to play the game. An absolute disgrace. We pretend to be for player welfare, even so far as banning the shoulder charge because of concussion concerns(supposedly), then we give players who are knocked unconscious the green light to get knocked senseless for another 78 minutes. That's the real barbarism that the sport needs to tackle head on.

Fingers crossed Westwood isn't banned for too many games and he can give it to the Aussie and Kiwis, because they won't hold back on our players.

I’m not sure I understand the logic behind this post

Leaving a player on the pitch suffering from concussion after being knocked out is ‘an absolute disgrace’ and yet the act of foul play that led to this concussion gets ‘it's part and parcel of the sport’

Your not the only one.