What is it with LMS and these derby games? I get the impression he's trying to ingratiate himself with the St. Helens fans by constantly looking to get involved in these incidents. There was a high shot from him after the biff. He was also looking for it on Good Friday and in the game at Widnes he made a pretty pathetic attempt at goading Wigan fans.
Him and Hock should've got 10 minutes. Magennis and Tuson correct red cards. I don't blame Tuson for reacting, but he did give him a good pasting.

It was unusual to see the red card given out when yellows could have sufficed for Tuson and Magennis, but that was one cowardly act from Magennis.

newt wrong with a bit of biff as long as there's 2 willing participants going hell for leather, shouldn't have got red carded as it takes the sting out of the game, if they were all sin binned and came back onto the pitch 10mins later after they had cooled down that would have added spice to the game.

From what I saw LMS was holding Hock, but Hock was swinging uppercuts at him. Didn't see LMS throw a punch but could be completely wrong (I watched the match through mainly glazed, depressed eyes! )

Magennis' was a sh*thouse act and Tuson had every right to retaliate IMO.

Great performance from Wigan and Wane had it spot on post-match: a real tough, committed team you have there, with no little skill. The sendings off saved us from a 60 point hiding.

Fair play.

The one person who seems to be getting off here is that idiotic St Helens linesman who always runs on the pitch waving his flag in any given wigan match. He was the man worming in Thalers ears and this is the man who actually said Meli was out of touch from that drop out from Sam which was quite clear he jumped from inside the field. That incident was ONE yard in front of him. Then miracously he could suddenly see all the trouble makers in a scrum? He couldnt wait to get a wigan player sent off. Yes Thaler made a mistake or two but that linesman shouldnt officiate any wigan matches

And yes to any earlier text Wilkin had a succession of high shots and to think both of Carmonts high tackles were legitimate. Spoilt a good game and perhaps this coming fridays.

I never said he did throw a punch but why did he need to start messing about with his head in the scrum? Both him and hock where the instigators and both should have gone for 10 minutes.

LMS and Hock were both touching heads, Hock then threw about 8 punches to LMS's 0. Doesn't sound like two sin bins to me TBH.

The daft thing is that if the mass brawl hadn't kicked off, LMS AND Hock would have carried on playing and the ref would have done nothing.

No real issue with the reds (apart from LMS staying on), as long as they do the same in the next brawl!

Probably not, that sort of stuff goes on all the time but 2 yellows would have been more appropriate than 3 red cards. I've seen fights just as bad if not worse than that in the past and never seen 3 red cards. Like I said in my earlier post hock threw punches and im not going to excuse him but LMS wasn't exactly innocent in it all either.

I'm pretty disappointed with that whole incident because we gave up a good opportunity to give you a really good pasting.

8 punches? You're exaggerating massively there. He got about two in of which I'm not sure any connected and then things were broken up.

Magennis squares up with Tuson, does nothing, then waits for him to turn his back before he sucker punches him. Then he gets towelled off Tuson, comes out and starts on a guy who looks like he's never had a fight in his life, then gets floored by Mossop.

So he sucker punches a guy and still got battered, crack a guy who doesn't fight then gets floored and then sent off, still lose the game and will face a nice ban. Lol, didn't go we well at all for him.

I've watched the incident several times now and it's unquestionable to me that the incident was blown way out of proportion. It was a heated (literally) derby match and there was a bit of handbags between forwards. 3 red cards killed the game.


Gaz Hock pushes LMS head down. LMS gives him a bit of a slap, Hock gives him a bit of a slap back, they push their heads into each other and then lock up. Hock tries to throw a few - didn't see any connect. LMS to be fair wasn't looking to throw any back. Both players are pulled off each other. Sin Bin - 10 minutes - sorted.

In the background though Magennis comes in and Tuson pulls him off. They square up both with raised fists/holding each others shirts but initially no punches are thrown. Tuson and Magennis drop their fists and Tuson turns around, Magennis sees red and fires one at Tuson with his back turned (one of the most cowardly acts I've seen on a rugby field). Tuson then starts retaliating and they have a scrap - Lockers tries to pull Magennis off as the Saints lads pull Tuson away. Magennis starts firing at Lockers but doesn't really connect. Lee Mossop pops up from nowhere and unseen lands an absolute beauty on Magennis that knocks the lad straight to the floor. Only Francis Meli saw it. The officials and most of the players missed it. Cracker.

Magennis deserves a ban - no denying. Tuson for me was defending himself and a red card was sufficient IMO. Lee Mossop will probably get a one match ban for that punch.

Hock and LMS was handbags and not much else. Gaz tried to go swinging but didn't land anything and LMS didn't react. So a red card for Gaz was probably fair. I honestly think that should be the end of it. LMS doesn't deserve a ban and I think a red card was sufficient enough for Gaz. However his reputation will probably precede him and he'll likely pick up a suspension.

Magennis - suspension.
Mossop - suspension.

Nout for Tuson.
Nout for LMS.
Probably a suspension for Hock with his reputation. Although IMO a red card was sufficient.

Had another look, frame by frame, (how sad is that!) but can't see anything that Hock did that was so bad, a bit of a not-roll, a couple of powder puffs to Scarsbrook's solar plexus, a bit of a cheek-to-cheek for a while, then a pull apart, end of that bit, a yellow at worst. The other event, Tuson and Magennis, on the other side of the scrum. They push each other, Tuson starts to turn away, Magennis fetches him a right-hander, Tuson goes a tad overboard in reponse, and apart for one-or-two minor incidenton on the sidelines, thats it for me. (sorry to be so sad about this)I hate it when other people are so sad but I'm just trying to show how this thing is going to be blown out of proportion to what it was. the real idiot was Thaler! it should have been yellows, then end of story! If we had lost I would want to blame someone, but I hope it would be the way we played the game and not a bad call from Thaler. Wigan is not a side of thugs, (nor are The Saints) it's a hard game for hard men, that's one reason we like it. So good luck to The Saints, and see you at the end of the season. you never know what might rest on that one!

Rock 'n' Roll.

He did. Tuson battered him, then Mossop put him on his backside.

For what it's worth, and I've tried to be as objective as possible here, Magennis' conduct was nothing short of appalling.

McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Hock had a bit of handbags. The pair of them were putting their heads in each others way, and it kicked off. That's happened more times in RL matches than anything. Props wind each other up, it's as simple as that - it's what the game is all about.

Magennis on the other hand is a coward. Him and Tuson had a bit of a go at each other face to face and nothing really happened other than they both had each other by the shirt. Tuson turned around to face the melee, and Magennis blindsided him when his back was turned. I'm not condoning the way Tuson went at Magennis after this, but I defy anyone who as been firstly blindsided in such a manner, and secondly in the heat of a derby game like this, NOT to retaliate.

Hock should never have been sent off. He was sent of simply because he is Gaz Hock, and I hope the RFL see this. LMS should get exactly the same punishment as Hock, because he did exactly what Hock did even if he did avoid getting sent off.

Magennis should get eight matches for what he did. It was cowardly. Sadly, Tuson will probably get a ban - probably not for retaliating per se, but for the way he went at Magennis the way he did.

As for Mossop. That punch was a blinder, but that will probably earn him a ban too. He wasn't involved in the fight, was not in any immediate danger, but still chose to punch Magennis. Technically, that's a ban, I'm afraid.

One amusing bit to come out of the scrap, though, was the reaction of my girlfriend's Salford supporting colleague's girlfriend, who was at her first RL match, who was geniunely shocked but excited that something like that could happen on a sports field.