I'm interested to know what the general consensus of opinion is on here. Anyone going to defend him? Do you all expect a ban?

It didn't look good to me. But I think it'll be a blessing in disguise as it'll mean Hampshire gets thrown in.

Most people are actually being quite even handed about this, there are the odd few who are over reacting and saying it's an assault and the odd few - like yourself - who are defending the indefensible in an attempt to avoid the quite obvious truth: it was a high swinging arm, so late that it doesn't deserve to be called a tackle. Even if he did make a smidgen of contact with Grix's shoulder first it was in such a way that contact with the neck and head was subsequently unavoidable - that is the very definition of reckless. When you accept that (as almost everyone else appears to have done) then the only reasonable response, both as punishment and deterrent is a ban somewhere between 1-3 games. That they have let him off is an indictment of the disciplinary committee, lots of people coming to the same wrong decision doesn't make it right.

So why did Lima get banned for the WCC in 2011?

Didn't Super Kel once miss the CC final with a ban?

Kel was banned for the 91 CC Final against Saints. He had been sent off a few weeks previously. This was the Mission Impossible period when Wigan played 4 games in 6 days ( Cas on Sunday, Widnes on Tuesday, Bradford on Thursday and Leeds on Saturday), winning 3 and drawing against Bradford, to clinch the Championship. Disciplinary hearings were held on Thursday afternoons back then and Kel had his the afternoon of the Bradford game. He was banned for 3 games, I think, and thus missed the Leeds game, the 1st round of the Premiership and the CC Final. Wigan were losing 18 -2 early in the second half before Kel sparked a comeback, crashing over from about 2 yards from a quick tap penalty. An 18 -18 draw which meant Wigan still needed to beat Leeds on Saturday. Unforgettable times for all those old enough to be there!

He should have got a 1 game ban which should've been implemented for the SL or CC which ever game came first. The WCC shouldn't count as it's only Wigan out of SL that is taking part, having a ban in the WCC would have no effect on the comps back home thus giving no advantage to the team playing Wigan next which should be the case.