I can’t see what all the surprise is all about in some peoples posts TBH, when I got home and watched the incident again I must say it did not look as bad as I first thought at the time, and I would have thought a yellow card sufficient punishment on the night. I’m sure the WCC also played a part in the panel’s decision too. It also strikes me there is a little hypocrisy in some post from other clubs fans who seem to want to bring back hanging whenever punishment is given to a Wigan player. My mind goes back to last year’s GF and the state of a Blake Green’s eye at the end of the game and the attitude of some people then.

A lot of posters keep saying it's set a president (I've quoted your just because it was the last one to mention it) but I don't think it does simply because the disciplinary panel have deemed it as first contact with the shoulder so any forthcoming high shots will just be classified to suit, head if they want to ban them and shoulder if they want a penalty sufficient decision.

I thought he deserved ten minutes, simply for taking out the kicker and probably a one game ban as it was high (although my guess is it wasn't malicious just a poorly executed late tackle).

As for bans, bans shouldn't be served in friendlies. Maybe a better system would that a player is banned for X games in that whichever competition the offence was commited and can't play in any game, in any competition until it has been served. Internationals would be tricky though I guess.

New(ish) poster...more through luck than judgement that Grix wasn't seriously injured, and to say it was an obstruction? Bowen was off the ground when he made contact with the head of Grix (not shoulder)

I would hope, like this one, that the video evidence is clear enough for them to spot the difference between head and shoulder



Don't disagree with any of that tbh



Agree again. Would mean the problem of having to avoid banning players due to play in the cup final doesn't arise. Any ban would be served in the next SL fixture.

Do the RFL wear cherry and white shirts ?

I heard that Nigel Wood has a pair of XXXXXXXXXXXL cherry and white y-fronts

This made me laugh and want to puke at the same time.

For those of you with twitter accounts follow @RFLReferees many decisions made explained on there (including the Bowen one) #asktheref

So to summarise the last 11 pages
Silver wood copped out
Mattie Bowen is a vicious thug who went out to hurt Grix
The RFL are all cherry and white supporters and bent.
Or
Alternatively
(Please feel free to burn me at the stake for this)
A professional REF and the Independent panel came to similar decisions based on evidence.

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.