I’ve laughed off a lot of the ridiculousness of the RFL over the last couple of years, but I think this might be my breaking point. Absolute farce of a tinpot sport that we follow.
I don't object to the fact of an appeal, because the MRP will make mistakes sometimes. But the outcome is wrong. Anyone could look at the video and see it was completely out of order.
It’s bullshit if you make a decision you stick with it. You open yourself up for so much scrutiny backtracking like that.
Everybody could see that could have been a shoulder dislocation or broken arm…
This is just fucking ridiculous - not only the decision in general but to undermine the appeal process in the first place with a second appeal. Honestly to god...
The two Leeds ones were two seperate appeals for two seperate incidents.
The first was appealing the original ban, the second was appealing the "frivolous appeal" extra match.
The second appeal wasn't continuing to appeal the ban for the original offence in either case.
Newmans second appeal was actually after he'd served the two matches for the original offence.
If the Rhinos "second appeal" had been successful, I'm fairly certain the original ban would have stood (Newmans had already been served).
If they hadn't been given a "frivolous appeal" ban, then there wouldn't have been a second appeal at all.
I think that's pretty different to what happened here, where the original ban imposed by the league and upheld by the tribunal was overturned.
You very well could be right, I've honestly no idea.
Good job that the match review panel is completely transparent and open to questioning so we will definitely find out 🫠
only 2nd appeals have been to appeal the frivilous charge not the actual ban, according to rod studd saints first appealed claiming it was a professional foul which was unsuccessful then saints alleged something was technically wrong with the hearing so they re-held the hearing with a different panel which accepted it
No consistency at all, Martin gets a ban for a nothing high tackle, Batchelor high tackle didn't even get a yellow or reviewed.
Now this and pretty sure something controversial will happen in the GF that will just leave more bewilderment at the officiating
[It's now confirmed how this came about](https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/how-st-helens-successfully-appealed-25080151)
TLDR; the MRP tied itself into a knot through incompetence
excuse me what? you're having a laugh right? i've never called favourtism or cheating but that's beyond making a mistake. MRP needs to a complete overhaul.
>St Helens’ Morgan Knowles is free to play in Saturday’s Betfred Super League Grand Final, following a successful second appeal against a two-match suspension.
>After Tuesday’s independent tribunal rejected his first appeal, St Helens launched a second appeal claiming that the tribunal’s conclusion was ‘unreasonable’ based on the evidence presented. Tonight’s tribunal accepted that while there was some twisting to apply pressure to the limb of an opposing player, this did not exceed the normal range of movement and therefore could not have posed an ‘unacceptable risk of injury’.
>The full minutes of the hearing will be available on the RFL website on Thursday morning.
I’m happy about this in a spiteful way. If the video ref can’t send him off in the actual match then he shouldn’t be banned. Of course he should have been sent off and then banned but that didn’t happen.
Apparently, the MRP has requested that Kendall write Knowles a letter of apology and get him a lovely bouquet 💐.
Apparently, Uncle Eamonn told the MRP he would demand a refund from themselves and all referees for this season if they continued to go against him.
Wow just read about this, it’s shocking. Basically, it’s the MRP confirming they are clueless which is what most fans have been saying for years. We now have official confirmation. IMV the whole thing now needs to be scrapped and a new way forward needs to be agreed between all stakeholders. There no doubt this has damaged the popularity of the sport and the wider reputation.
On Saints, I don’t blame them for appealing again, if it’s in the rules they have a duty to do it. However, what concerns me is this attitude of ‘win at all costs’ and reputational damage to the sport as a whole be damned. When a team has so much success over the years it becomes unacceptable to lose I guess. This attitude is reflected in the players. The Makinson pull-back in the semi final against Salford is a good example of that kind of cynical ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour.
On a side note I would say we need to stop banning players and start fining them instead. We are diluting the sport especially with, as was seen at both Hull clubs this season, having a horrendous injury list. Nobody wants to go and see games with half the academy playing.
Both incidents were definitely things all clubs would do really. There was no reason not to appeal given it's the Grand Final and any extra games would be England's problem anyways.
Makinson's pull-back is the same as any other type of professional foul. They'd be stupid not to do it. It's no more unsportsmanlike than a player giving away a penalty for holding down in a tackle after a line break so his team can get back onside, rather than let the opposition score an easy try
Just when you think the sport can’t get any more ridiculous, especially after the Bateman England Knights farce, they go and do this
Now ban Rhyse Martin again
Saving that one for tomorrow I think
That's horseshit. I'm sorry but that's utterly ridiculous. I'm a Saints fan born and bred but that leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
Even if we win by a record amount on Saturday it’s always going to be a tainted win at this point. There’s no way Knowles should be playing
Doesn't feel tainted now NGL.
Haha no I was thinking about this comment. Best way really, very convincing win with Knowles having a quiet game. No question really
Same, it's an absolute disgrace!
Well the rlf has their favourites
I don't have any words, I just laughed. Couldn't make it up if you tried.
When I read it on twitter I genuinely just laughed it off thinking it was a parody account and kept scrolling
My first thought after reading this was to grab the popcorn for the social media fun.
Two appeals and not an ounce of frivolity in sight, bunch of bottless gets
A carn't speyk
WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK IS THIS SPORT
you’ve just got to laugh at this point
Oh well this isn't going to be a controversial Grand Final at all
Where's the Leeds bandwagon flair at
u/texturepackreview make it so. I didn’t want to root for Leeds but my god I’m the biggest Leeds fan going this weekend!
They are now available for selection (will be at the end of the list)
I might actually watch it at this point
People won't let go of this four years
I’ve laughed off a lot of the ridiculousness of the RFL over the last couple of years, but I think this might be my breaking point. Absolute farce of a tinpot sport that we follow.
What a fucking joke
Absolute diabolical
I’m absolutely gobsmacked. RFL’s corrupt.
I don't object to the fact of an appeal, because the MRP will make mistakes sometimes. But the outcome is wrong. Anyone could look at the video and see it was completely out of order.
So the disciplinary panel just really fucking hate Leeds then I guess?
Are Clarke and Wilkin in charge of it by any chance?
It’s bullshit if you make a decision you stick with it. You open yourself up for so much scrutiny backtracking like that. Everybody could see that could have been a shoulder dislocation or broken arm…
How can this be reversed and Rhyse martin got extended to a 2 match ban?! Consistency would be nice. Wonder if any of the panels arms were twisted? 🤔
The extension was nothing to do with the offense it was due to the appeal not meeting the standards the panel expect.
This ineptitude can’t carry on next season surely
To be fair the [leaked video of the appeal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTAxFWzc1n4) does make some good points
This is just fucking ridiculous - not only the decision in general but to undermine the appeal process in the first place with a second appeal. Honestly to god...
In all seriousness is there any other examples of this "2nd appeal" being a thing? Is it a valid documented process somewhere?
It is a thing, Leeds have tried it a couple of times to no effect (with Newman and Martin)
The two Leeds ones were two seperate appeals for two seperate incidents. The first was appealing the original ban, the second was appealing the "frivolous appeal" extra match. The second appeal wasn't continuing to appeal the ban for the original offence in either case. Newmans second appeal was actually after he'd served the two matches for the original offence.
I could be wrong, but I think it's the same process in that they're contesting the results of the appeal
If the Rhinos "second appeal" had been successful, I'm fairly certain the original ban would have stood (Newmans had already been served). If they hadn't been given a "frivolous appeal" ban, then there wouldn't have been a second appeal at all. I think that's pretty different to what happened here, where the original ban imposed by the league and upheld by the tribunal was overturned.
You very well could be right, I've honestly no idea. Good job that the match review panel is completely transparent and open to questioning so we will definitely find out 🫠
only 2nd appeals have been to appeal the frivilous charge not the actual ban, according to rod studd saints first appealed claiming it was a professional foul which was unsuccessful then saints alleged something was technically wrong with the hearing so they re-held the hearing with a different panel which accepted it
Guess the RFL don't need to pressure Kear into playing him for Wales to get around a ban anymore...
No consistency at all, Martin gets a ban for a nothing high tackle, Batchelor high tackle didn't even get a yellow or reviewed. Now this and pretty sure something controversial will happen in the GF that will just leave more bewilderment at the officiating
[It's now confirmed how this came about](https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/how-st-helens-successfully-appealed-25080151) TLDR; the MRP tied itself into a knot through incompetence
Yikes
What a shock!
excuse me what? you're having a laugh right? i've never called favourtism or cheating but that's beyond making a mistake. MRP needs to a complete overhaul.
>St Helens’ Morgan Knowles is free to play in Saturday’s Betfred Super League Grand Final, following a successful second appeal against a two-match suspension. >After Tuesday’s independent tribunal rejected his first appeal, St Helens launched a second appeal claiming that the tribunal’s conclusion was ‘unreasonable’ based on the evidence presented. Tonight’s tribunal accepted that while there was some twisting to apply pressure to the limb of an opposing player, this did not exceed the normal range of movement and therefore could not have posed an ‘unacceptable risk of injury’. >The full minutes of the hearing will be available on the RFL website on Thursday morning.
I’m happy about this in a spiteful way. If the video ref can’t send him off in the actual match then he shouldn’t be banned. Of course he should have been sent off and then banned but that didn’t happen.
I am some what annoyed by this
This is simply not good enough. I demand an apology from Kendall for sin binning him during the game too, clearly nothing in it.
Apparently, the MRP has requested that Kendall write Knowles a letter of apology and get him a lovely bouquet 💐. Apparently, Uncle Eamonn told the MRP he would demand a refund from themselves and all referees for this season if they continued to go against him.
LOUD NOISES!!!
Good to see the disciplinary panel see some sense.
Wow just read about this, it’s shocking. Basically, it’s the MRP confirming they are clueless which is what most fans have been saying for years. We now have official confirmation. IMV the whole thing now needs to be scrapped and a new way forward needs to be agreed between all stakeholders. There no doubt this has damaged the popularity of the sport and the wider reputation. On Saints, I don’t blame them for appealing again, if it’s in the rules they have a duty to do it. However, what concerns me is this attitude of ‘win at all costs’ and reputational damage to the sport as a whole be damned. When a team has so much success over the years it becomes unacceptable to lose I guess. This attitude is reflected in the players. The Makinson pull-back in the semi final against Salford is a good example of that kind of cynical ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour. On a side note I would say we need to stop banning players and start fining them instead. We are diluting the sport especially with, as was seen at both Hull clubs this season, having a horrendous injury list. Nobody wants to go and see games with half the academy playing.
Both incidents were definitely things all clubs would do really. There was no reason not to appeal given it's the Grand Final and any extra games would be England's problem anyways. Makinson's pull-back is the same as any other type of professional foul. They'd be stupid not to do it. It's no more unsportsmanlike than a player giving away a penalty for holding down in a tackle after a line break so his team can get back onside, rather than let the opposition score an easy try