I think if they were ever to move to fixed punishment it would have to be very specific and not blanket punishment.

Punching an unconscious person would need to be a separate rule than punching someone that had just headbutted you for example....And before last years GF who in their right mind would have even thought of that as a rule?!

The scaling punishments seem fine, they just need to be more consistent with their application.

Does anyone know who the disciplinary people are? It has been alleged by many on RL Fans over recent years that they appear biased towards Yorkshire clubs or players? Probably untrue but it would be interesting to see some stats over the previous few seasons to clear it up. Consistency and transparency is all you can ask.

Gary Hetherington, Mick Morgan, Geoff Boycott, Garry Schofield, Michael Parkinson, Fred Truman, Alan Bennett and that poet from Barnsley.

rlLinkrl

That's still last years by the looks of it.

Hallas & Sculthorpe were both dirty players - Danny especially though a good ball player - seemed to have steel implants in his elbows the way he ran.

Nobby Turley a great bloke and always fair & I would guess Nathan McAvoy wouldnt be against the Reds.

I was reading the Doc's comments in the paper about Huddersfield sending in a medical report to the disciplinary panel and going to the media in an attempt to influence the hearing. It was a very unfortunate incident but for a fellow club to make a deliberate effort to influence the severity of a verdict is something that needs to be outlawed by the RFL. It was a pointless act by the Giants because I've no doubt the disciplinary panel ignored their unnecessary interference anyway. As MK said - Did Salford go public and send Greg Johnson's broken jaw x-ray results to the RFL last year when he copped a high shot against the Giants? No.

As you say fixed punishments would have to be specific, and there would be more controversy if things didn't fit exactly into a description.
There are complaints about inconsistency but What we as fans have to remember is we only get a summary of the disciplinary. We do not get to hear the full submissions by the players involved or the officials report and we don't see all the footage of the incident that the disciplinary see. The poster above claims salford didn't send in medical reports when johnsons jaw was broken? does he know that this wasn't done/ isn't the norm? MK also has a short memory as he quite publicly stated murphy should have been sent off and called it a cheap shot. The disciplinary didn't agree. Maybe more transparency is what we need?

Do you think it's right that a club should try and influence a verdict? Or should it be left to the disciplinary panel to do their jobs? Yes or no?

I personally fear more transparency would only make things worse. People will never be satisfied with the disciplinary process, I include myself in that along with every long term fan, transparency will only give us more ammunition.

Coaches are well within their rights to comment on events aren't they? Lord knows koukash does it enough- he's commented on events now surely???
Clubs provide evidence- it's part of the process- Hudds will have provided video footage of that and other incidents on the day. Medical reports can provide evidence as to how an injury has occurred. Are they not normally submitted? I don't know. I know medical evidence HAS been used in defence at a disciplinary for a biting charge. They are sometimes submitted in the NRL and the RFU and I seem to remember either wigan or saints having to provide medical reports for an incident a long while ago.
any player up before the disciplinary wouldn't need to attend and explain their actions or put forward mitigating circumstances as surely that is influencing?

Is it not Neil Turley? Wonder if he got a say in whether Chase played against Leigh in their cup final.

Top, top post Sir

"Coaches are well within their rights to comment on events aren't they? Lord knows koukash does it enough"
he's not a coach: I will accept he does sound off a lot but he's not a coach.

"any player up before the disciplinary wouldn't need to attend and explain their actions or put forward mitigating circumstances as surely that is influencing?" could you explain what you are getting at?

No, clubs voluntarily citing players for retributional benefits is not part of the disciplinary process. Any charge against a player is at the full discretion of the RFL officials and should not be influenced by another member club. What would happen if a club provided a false/innaccurate medical report with the aim of getting an opponent player banned for a longer period? By contrast to the Giants actions is was interesting to see how St Helens Chairman Eamonn McManus conducted himself by allowing the RFL to do their jobs and then showing public support for Ben Flower after the hysteria of the Grand Final incident.