The RFL Match Review Panel recently sentenced forward Liam Horne of Castleford Tigers and winger Tommy Makinson of St Helens to one match suspensions.
They were the only two players in Super League Round Eleven to receive red cards.
Makinson was dismissed from the game early in Saints’ convincing victory over the Castleford Tigers for a shoulder-to-the-head tackle on Tex Hoy.
st Helen’sTommy Makinson, a St Helens winger, has a chance to avoid a ban because of an RFL loophole, according to Ollie Mitchell.14 May 2024
The RFL Match Review Panel recently sentenced forward Liam Horne of Castleford Tigers and winger Tommy Makinson of St Helens to one match suspensions.
They were the only two players in Super League Round Eleven to receive red cards.
Makinson was dismissed from the game early in Saints’ convincing victory over the Castleford Tigers for a shoulder-to-the-head tackle on Tex Hoy.
The panel assessed him a Grade C Head Contact charge, which requires him to miss a game.
This week’s other Grade C Head Contact charge went to Wigan Warriors’ Liam Byrne, who received a yellow card in the opening minute of their victory.
There are no Super League fixtures this weekend, with the Challenge Cup semi-finals instead scheduled this weekend.
Playing in those fixtures are Wigan Warriors, Hull KR, Huddersfield Giants and Warrington Wolves.
Castleford and St Helens are not involved, as they both lost in the quarter-finals.
That means
they get a week off, but before their next Super League fixtures, there’s a round of reserves’ fixtures as usual.
The two sides’ reserve teams are facing each other at the weekend, meaning the game can be used to both sides’ advantage.
First-team players can use reserve games to count towards their suspensions if the first-team are not in action, and it’s likely to be the case this weekend.
Both sides have previous using the loophole.
One of the most notable uses was Wigan using it to allow Bevan French, Harvie Hill and Kaide Ellis to star in their playoff semi-final last year, due to their reserves’ Grand Final against St Helens.
A trio of Castleford players also benefitted from the rule during an international break last year, with Kenny Edwards, Liam Watts and Bureta Faraimo managing to escape bans.
