Whereas Flower's Mortal Kombat "Finish Him" punch was justifiable given his "evener" to lay Hohaia out?

None. But if he's conscious and on the floor there are plenty of excuses apparently.

It wasn't a cheap shot or thuggish though - I can't understand why people are going with that narrative.

He reacted to Lance's niggle. You see that every week in RL.

What made it unique was that he knocked him out with the first punch. He didn't realise this and did what every Rugby player does and followed up when he hit the ground. Watching it in slow motion doesn't put the incident in to context at all.

He'll get a ban for the punch. Anything more is Red Hall bowing to media and fan pressure, which they obviously will because they're incompetent.

Agreed, the Westwood incident was worse as it was cowardly and unprovoked.

He'll be gutted to have lost to THEM!!!

Flowers was bang out of order and he'll regret that floor punch for the rest of his life. In his defence he got badly clobbered in the face by Hohaia and would have probably seen the red mist.
That floor punch was too far but how many people could honestly say that they would be in total control moments after a grevious attack to the head.

Exactly! Everybody is outraged that Hohaia was out before the second punch. That is the issue here. If not we would have applauded Flower's act of retribution...

Sarcasm mode over. A scuffle followed by a shove followed by a punch is "perhaps" understandable. That second punch was cowardly, conscious or not, and anyone defending it will surely shake their head when they re-read this in the cold light of day...

Just back from the game and seen the incident on the half time review by Wells and Carney.
Wells draws attention to the fact that Hohaia instigated the incident by running in and belting Flower to the jaw with his forearm. Flower, by his reaction, obviously took it that Hohaia intended breaking his jaw. Flower reacts and punches Hohaia as he stands and then again when the Saints player in on the ground.
It certainly looked from that TV replay like Hohaia was the instigator and Flower the one who reacted.
Flower sent off correctly, Hohaia, the instigator, not dealt with at all.
That's how it looks from the SKY TV output.

At the end of the day Flower hit a man on the deck who was already out. He is a coward and hopefully will have the book thrown at him.

You missed the bit where Flower hit Lance on the way past in order to get to the ball, which is what Lance reacted to!

Can't believe some are trying to justify a cowardly attack on a unconscious player. Should be banned 6 month from start of season. Regarding the match Wigan put in a sterling show but saints just about deserved it