Ian Wright is a massive end of a bell. People moan about punditry in our game, at least we don't have to put up with the likes of Savage, Wright and Crooks.

The Torygraph (i have to read it as it's the only news website i can access at work) hardly ever mentions RL, it's hidden away under 'other sports' with the odd article every other month. They have been frothing at the mouth after since Saturday with article after article about how our game is a disgrace.

Putting the barbaric nature of the incident to one side for a minute, it speaks volumes about our game and its players that Hohaia holds no ill feelings towards Flower. Keane ended someone's career over a previous accident between the pair and STILL can't have the decency to regret it.

This certainly suggests a bias: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... nfamy.html so do we punish for the crime or for the effect on our game? over to you

This certainly suggests a bias: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... nfamy.html so do we punish for the crime or for the effect on our game? over to you

Websites like the Telegraph dont have any bias. They respond to clicks, hits and page views. More page views = more advertising revenue for them.

If lots of people are reading articles about Ben Flower, they are going to keep on producing articles about Ben Flower, which means they have to look for new angles on the story all the time.

Did you seriously just say the Telegraph doesn't have a bias?
You mean like The Sun or Daily Mirror don't have a bias either?

I agree but the little union-loving Jonathan Liew cannot hide his delight in being able to write article after article about it

They are a business, serving up content that their customers want to read and selling the advertising space around the stories. If their customers wanted to read about how wonderful Paul Wellens is, there would be plenty of articles along that vein.

There was plenty of positive articles on the Telegraph site last week, mainly written by Jonathan Liew, about Wigan, Billy Boston and (ironically) the Wigan Way and Shaun Wane's hatred to Saints.

Why shouldn't he. RL people and the rest of the country are quick to put the boot in about football and footballers. Even when we have hooliganism it is deemed to be football supporters that are responsible such is the blinkered view that we are a perfect "family" sport. Why shouldn't Wright point out the hypocrisy and stand up for his own sport? RL people crave the media spotlight. They had it on Saturday because it was a final. Now they see the consequences of being in the spotlight, like football is every day of the year, and moan about that too. So what is it to be - no media coverage or plenty? Or, I suppose it ought to be plenty so long as "we" agree with it! You can't have it all your own way. As Standee would say - people in the game need to take personal responsibility and not blame their ills on everyone else.

Most people don't know the difference between RL and RU and so if the press go at it too hard and there's an incident at the forthcoming RU world cup the "thugby" accusations will hit RU twice as hard.

You can't have your cake and eat it. RL fans complain the game is too sanitised, yet when a moment of genuinly disgraceful 'biff' takes place complain that the sport is critisised for it, it still surprises me that RL fans don't realise that some of the 'biff' elements within the game is what keeps the rest of the country away from from RL. The game is tough enough, there's is no need for what Flower did or anything like it to take place on an RL field.

Isn't there a point in between a sanitised game and punching unconscious people?

I don't think people are put off by 'biff' at pro level (amateur and youth level is a different matter entirely) as long as we are clear where the line is and players and coaches deal with it with the responsibility such freedom demands.

The fact is that although it won't be publicised, if anything this episode has shown that all by a few morons in Wigan glasses, everyone knows where that line is and are agreed that big punishments are given to those who cross them.

What's the right punishment in your view?

Bit some of the biff is why people watch it. It's a though sport. no point RL trying to be something it's not. Also people wanting biff and what Flower did are not the same.

Everything up to and including the first punch can be categorized as Biff. The second punch can't. Don't see why this is so hard for some people to understand.

I don't know. I think he will get about 12. I'm generally opposed to long band but what he did was appalling and I would struggle to argue against any length of ban really. However long.

Correct

Daily Mirror online has a readers poll on what the appropriate ban should be. Life-ban gets a whopping 44% with one year second most preferred by respondents.

Well we will find out soon enough.

Another "journalist" who perhaps has been looking at this thread?? www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... fford.html

Another "journalist" who perhaps has been looking at this thread?? www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... fford.html

Indeed. Not looking forward to it - too lenient and there will be uproar. Life-ban or similar and it would smack of panic. To get it right will be difficult.

Quote ="Dally"Another "journalist" who perhaps has been looking at this thread?? www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... fford.html'" Well, he got the last bit right at least: "It was individual malice, but not the true face of rugby"

Quote ="Dally"Another "journalist" who perhaps has been looking at this thread?? www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... fford.html'" Well, he got the last bit right at least: "It was individual malice, but not the true face of rugby"

It isn't at all. Go with 12/14/16/18 that kind of ban. It's not career ending but it's severe enough for the media to acknowledge the unprecedented nature of the ban in SL's history and for the players to realise it went beyond acceptable limits.

No one can reasonably argue that a double figure ban is harsh. It's not. He'll be lucky if he avoids criminal charges and if he does, it'll only be because of the sport being seen to have acted and Saints/Hohaia not wanting to take it further, which again will probably depend on what the RFL come up with.

What he didn't get right was saying that Flower walked over to finish the job. He did not contemplate for a few seconds and then "walk" over as implied / stated.

I liked the line about how Rugby League is fueled by anabolic steroids.

Punch one (reaction) - 4 matches

Punch two (cheap cowardly shot) - whole of 2015.