Can we play the Radiator mascot? He must be tough to stop with tackles round the ankles only

And chuck in the towel in August and September.

No big deal, season is a write off and already planning for 2025

The absolute biggest load of .
The RFL are clearly big on player welfare this year, hence all the cards now for dangerous contact. Completely ignoring a player been dumped on their head for the sake of giving Wigan a better chance at beating an NRL team is the biggest show of disrespect to every other player (along with their club and fanbase) who has been banned for similar tackles in the past, and who will throughout this season.
What you've just come out with is a clear acknowledgement that the RFL have shown heavy bias against Wigan, which wether that is down to having a WCC match to play or not, is just pure wrong.

It'll be typical RL that just when the off field management of the game starts to look slightly competent they let the games golden ticket of being good to watch slip. It seems this sport can never have the two things at the same time.

No not at all - you've just read what you wanted to see. I said there was significant mitigation with Luke Hooley ducking his head but on balance I wouldn't complain with a small ban of 1-2 games. I don't believe any ban for an incident in a domestic game should apply in international competitions, whether that is a Wigan player or any other player. What did you think when George Williams was banned for two matches of a rare three match international test series due to a disciplinary issue in a SL playoff?

I agree that domestic bans applying to non-domestic events is daft. You'd probably have to apply international bans to domestic events otherwise they might take years to get served!
I have some sympathy with the notion of giving Wigan the best possible chance given the current rules but it still feels disrespectful to everyone else and is understandably annoying.

I dont think you have to wonder it was odds on he wouldnt receive a ban

I have no issue with the charge for Pele it was stupid, however the other 2 bans are an absolute joke, Moore stated that there was low end force by Ese Ese which is stated as mitigation for the yellow card only, so is Cullen saying they got it wrong and should have been a red??

There is surley mitigation with Sao, what do they expect him to do while having attention around his face and eyes? Just lay there and take it? If it was me I'd be trying to get them off me by any means.

Cullen shouldn't be anywhere near a disciplinary committee, only the rugby league would put someone who used to try and knock people's head off for a living on a disciplinary committee. Can't wait for them to put Zak Hardaker in charge of the rugby leagues safe driving programme.

we should be used to seeing our NRL imports sitting in the stands

I do agree with that view of domestic/international games, but at present those aren't the rules. The rules are (and NRL play by the same) that bans do count. So on that basis if the RFL haven't given him a ban purely as a favour to help Wigan out then it's a joke of a decision. We will never know for certain what their motives were. They can spin it with the 'significant mitigation' line, but it will be interesting to see if that phrase pops up again any time else in the season.
I'd love to see Wigan win on weekend so it's an awkward position for me because on one hand I'm glad Smith is playing but on the other hand, as I've made obvious, I just think it's a massively unfair decision. I'll still be cheering the kid on Saturday night.

Then you've got Nick Fozzard who pretty much forearmed players in the face every tackle and run he made in SL sueing the game over player welfare. The world is bonkers.

Crazy I've never seen someone run elbow first into every tackle and get away with it.

Totally agree, yet again the sport seems to want to shoot itself in the foot. We saw it last year with the officials being over zealous and then the MRP compounding things with dis proportionate punishments and bans.

Fans pay to see players on the pitch not in the stands and other than Peles stupidity the others are a joke. I just hope the club for once frowns pair and contest Ese’ese’s punishment as to why the MRP or Cullen see it as so much worse than the onfield & video ref at the time.

Can see a repeat of last year when clubs were having players banned left right and centre before the RFL had to call a meeting to discuss the situation.

It’s no surprise that we are only one game in and already the disparity and lack of consistency is quite obvious.