Regardless of who started the niggles, Flowers' actions were indefensible and thuggish.

I wonder what effect this will have on the current team - maybe none, maybe a little unsettling.

I don't think anyone here is trying to defend Flower. What he did was indefensible, but that doesn't mean it was unexplainable. What Hohia did was also indefensible and deserving of a red and a ban in itself; something that was totally forgotten, apparently forever, 5 seconds later.

i would say no effect at all.
Where the damage could be done is in the recruitment of overseas players who may have only heard one side to the story. This fallout could affect all SL clubs who may get unfairly tarnished.

That is an excellent point and the one person who hasn't been mentioned who is really to blame is the man who wound up his troops so much they went way over the top. That season they got away with so many indiscretions beyond what others got that by the time of the Grand Final he thought they were invincible. Shaun Wane only cares for his club not for the whole game. The fall out of this is the detriment to the whole of Super League which is already on the decline. Well done you Shaun you must be proud of yourself.

Think some need to watch it back. A kick goes up from Wigan and as Hohaia is chasing it back Flower comes through with a stiff arm across the back of his head which knocks Lance to the ground. Obviously not letting the git get away with it, he comes back and cracks him after Flower has just bombed a try and visibly pee'd off. Getting smacked by Lance only winds Flower up further, keep in mind they are now square at this point. Flower knocks him out anyway which is further than it needed to go there but still all part and parcel sometimes. It's when he stands over him and shoves his fist straight into the face of an unconscious person that it becomes reprehensible and Lance has a right to take that further.

I'm not defending the incident but Flower cracks him once, the 2nd hit Flower has no idea he's knocked out, in slow motion it looks bad in real time the brain simply wouldn't comprehend it that quickly, especially a big daft lad.

The 2nd hit, he realised "job done" so to speak and stopped.

It's not as if he started his MMA training and did a proper ground and pound on him until someone knocked him off.

You're right. I thought it was a push from Flower in back play, but he visibly swings round Hohia's head. Still, Hohia's retaliation was heavy.

Ok i literally just watched it again, kick goes up, Flower is one of the chasers, Hohaia actually body checks Flower but the power of Flower (lol) he lifts his arm and then he walks over him and pushes him out the way, realising (ego) that he's just been embarrassed he goes in again and runs at Flower and actually pushes Flower in the head with some considerable force, actually jumping off the floor at him, Flower literally goes into a primitive fight or flight mode and cracks him, as he's falling he's not thinking and followed it straight up with another.

Just because Lance comes off 2nd best he can't claim any innocence, none whatsoever, in fact he brought that on himself and i personally think he has a bigger share of the blame than Flower.

The funny thing is that everyone calls on Wigan for dirty tactics (maybe justified) but at the start of that match it was the Saints forwards who came out looking for blood. Mosoe especially flew into the first 2 tackles with arms swinging and gave away a penalty after 30 seconds for it. And then Hohaia goes chasing after a prop who hit him late - crazy. Both coaches had their players highly strung right from the kick-off and sadly it seems Hohaia paid the biggest price.

I think alot of you are missing the point. What happened on the pitch on the Grand Final, happened. He seems to have accepted it, and both clubs and the sport appeared to have moved on.

His problem seems to be with St Helens and the way they treated him up until his resignation / early retirement, which the club strongly contest in there statement. One side is as fault or not representing the truth & facts fairly, which will no doubt come out in the wash in the upcoming legal case which this story appears to be the prelude to.

It looks like a case of 'Where There's Blaime There's A Claim' to me.

Agreed.

Saints forwards got their retaliation in first.

In my view Nathan Brown had anticipated the way the match was going to go, & decided to fight fire with fire.

Many years ago I resigned from a delivery driver job. The 'big' boss believed he ran the best business and was the best employer in the world. When asked why I was leaving I had to tell him about the pressure my immediate manager put me under day to day to put my foot down and break the speed limit, skip my breaks and do whatever it takes to get all my deliveries off so I could get back early (and he could then go home early in the van). The boss simply wouldn't believe that any of his employees could or would encourage his drivers to break the law.

The demands and expectations on the 'shop floor' are often completely different from policies expected from those at the 'top'. Despite what the Saints media department and bosses say, I wouldn't be surprised if Lance was put under pressure to 'man up' and get on with it.

Very shrewd from Hohaia and his briefs, announcing this in the week of Stains' biggest game of their season, home to the Pies. Hohaia believes he's been badly done to, so he "pooh stirs", when the club should be concentrating on the match. A lover spurned, eh?

I'm just waiting for the Asotasti case to come through.
We made him run occasionally, granted it won't be a massive case, he's entitled to a £1 for every metre he covered.

Owing us then, Yed?