Or, just a prepared statement from someone who had a few days to think about it?

So if Monaghan bothers you, what you're saying is Hardaker should face a similar treatment?

Do we deregister him and kick him out the league then?
Bit harsh but if Leeds fans want that, we can do that.

I think you are missing my point, i was trying to highlight that if you call somebody a name you get a more severe punishment for it than smashing them in the face.

It not just calling them a name GN. If you seriously think that be very careful what you may say in public. The there is an unwritten agreement sport is granted the police to police itself that saved ZH from being prosecution.

He could quite easily be charged and also players who hit or end another players career or in extreme cases their life!

So you are saying verbal is worse than physical assualt?

in ZH choice of v-a there is a very stiff penalty legally for that.
The law doesn't take racial or homophobic comments lightly.

I haven't looked into the severity of ABH v homophobic slur. But there is a case to answer that a mental effect could be worst that a physical assault.

The lad got five games, he's accepted it. End of matter. Thread needs locking as we're getting nowhere.

And the law accepts physical violence? if people think that a verbal slur is worse than a physical attack then they need to realign their perespective.

You've tried to make you're dull trolling point about 5 times now... it might be time to give up.

Physical violence in the context of rugby presents some difficulties... not least the time honoured tradition of 'handbags' or 'a bit of biff'. It is a sport where hitting big is lauded as much as points on the board.

Personally I don't like it - I would be more than happy to throw bans at neanderthal idiots who can't play the sport without raising their fists... let the refs do their jobs and punish foul play where they see it.

Homophobic comments, just as racist comments are different because they have no place in the sport. Respect for competitors and officials is and should be at the heart of all sport.

I find it astonoshing that people are offended by homophobic or racial insults but saying nothing if someone was called a ginger c!!t, that only certain members of society are offended and they need protecting, to think others shouldn't be to concerned about being verbally abused is deiscrimination itself! then go on to place that verbal abuse worse than physical violence! crazy people!

Ok... you've lost me on that tangent.