If the punch carries the same weight you're right, the first punch his fist is wound up from behind he shoulder, with full weight transference, the second is a heavy jab in front of the chest, unless you're Bruce Lee you can't anywhere near as much power in that 2nd punch.

This is true the second blow was the most dangerous one because his head was on the ground and must absorb all the energy of the blow. As well as possible brain damage a detached retina could result in blindness.

Well, in fairness it was hardly a game that oozed skill and quality. How many knock ons? Poor attacking options taken from both sides, shocking discipline (I'm not just talking foul play)! The fact is was close for most of the match meant it would have kept the interest of the neutrals.

The Ben Flower punch was the best talking point out of what was otherwise a very dull affair on the field.

Plenty of Pie Fans on twitter are defending him.

A point I had completely forgotten to bring up, what a tedious game it was in the end, did the weather contribute to that, Saints having no creativity (understandable). Wigan having 1 less man playing it safer? Who knows, wasn't a patch on last week though.

I've read some absolute garbage on twitter since last night from fans of every club, none of which should be taken seriously. Martin Offiah was getting plenty of abuse from Wire fans for some reason.

Offiah get abuse off Wire fans everyday.

Andrew Voss @AndrewVossy - "Letting fans in the UK know, Australians waking up now to see Ben Flower's punch in the sport headlines.No tries ..just the act of thuggery"

Not good....

Offiah brings it on himself sometimes with his "do you know who I am" attitude. He reminds me of Stan Collymore. He says something, and if people don't agree with him, he starts getting all defensive and lashing out about "haters hating", words that annoy me as much as the word "bants".

Sky's first half highlights were about 10 mins, half of that dedicated to "that incident".
It looked from the highlights like pure attrition, a la NRL, with a bit of thuggery and fumbling added. Thank God I only watched the highlights and not the full "spectacle"

He was insufferable last night. He has a big persecution complex, saying that the 'heat' he was getting on Twitter was 'just like the old days'. Apparently he was the most hated winger of his generation. Give over...

Oh, this.

Now, THIS IS NOT A RACIST COMMENT, but it's like the media HAVE to have an eloquent black guy, just to appease the PC brigade.
Football with Collymore and Crooks (the fact that it's verbal diahorrea seems to be lost on them and their bosses) and the UNBELIEVABLELY tedious Clarke Carlisle.
Don't get me started on Offiah, he's neither eloquent or TV friendly, just a "face" that people know.

Can we ban pundits, please. It's either stating the bleedin' obvious, like John Wells, or just wummery like Schofield, or at times Phil Clarke.
For TV games, I tend to walk out at half time/full time, or just put the telly on mute, and just watch he replays. I find my blood pressure s much more normal, and the cat less frightened in the corner.

I've given up following him on Twitter. The guy is nothing but an odious moron. Yes, he's a Rugby League legend, but he's probably the only legend that stuff's that fact down people's throats on a daily basis.

Actually scrap that, there is one other who does that............fatty Schofield. Who was actually very quiet last night. I assume it's after his comment that "you won't win a GF with Flanagan at scrum half" spectacularly backfired on him.

I agree.

You can't beat rugby league fans for a bit of paranoia.

The Flower punch was the turning point of the game and there was not a lot of great flair rugby league on show, so editors have to show something that has a main talking point.

I remember in the World Cup there was a fairly dull game between Uruguay and Italy, and all we heard about for about two weeks afterwards was that one player had taken a bite out of someone's shoulder. They weren't focusing on the 'positive aspects of the sport' then were they?

In cricket all we have heard this week is about how Kevin Pietersen has slagged off his team mates. The media has just stirred that up not caring about inflicting maximum damage on the image of English cricket. It's the English media that has been stirring it.

The media feed off negativity, positivity doesn't sell papers or net subscriptions.
Last year it was Westwood
Year before a player losing a testicle.

No such thing as bad publicity. Fact of the matter is, the game wouldn't have received a fraction of the exposure if has in the last 24 hours, had the incident not occurred.

Yeah we might draw in some of the UFC crowd....ker-ching $€£

It's the one thing I hate about mma too...strikes to flat out opponent. Although at least in martial arts, it's the part and parcel of the bout. Last night was similar to the shot Dan Henderson landed on Mike Bisping a couple of years ago in UFC.

I agree..... don't have a problem with it all. Bring on the publicity. ..

I've never seen Gary lineaker comment on rugby league before. I think he tried to say imagine if that was a footballer..... so I did...I thought of the world's greatest footballers and thought of Zidane. Maradonna and Suarez lovin fruits the lot of em...have no idea what point the big eared idiot was trying to make.

But thanks for watching

Quote ="the flying biscuit"I agree..... don't have a problem with it all. Bring on the publicity. .. I've never seen Gary lineaker comment on rugby league before. I think he tried to say imagine if that was a footballer..... so I did...I thought of the world's greatest footballers and thought of Zidane. Maradonna and Suarez lovin fruits the lot of em...have no idea what point the big eared idiot was trying to make. But thanks for watching'" Aye, I seen that tweet from Lineker, you never see footballers doing anything like that... m.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4iWIE77Ts

Quote ="the flying biscuit"I agree..... don't have a problem with it all. Bring on the publicity. .. I've never seen Gary lineaker comment on rugby league before. I think he tried to say imagine if that was a footballer..... so I did...I thought of the world's greatest footballers and thought of Zidane. Maradonna and Suarez lovin fruits the lot of em...have no idea what point the big eared idiot was trying to make. But thanks for watching'" Aye, I seen that tweet from Lineker, you never see footballers doing anything like that... m.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4iWIE77Ts

I have to agree with the Pie, pal...now dont get me wrong I'm not condoning it, smoothing it over or considering it was anything short of a red card...
but he does look to hesitate about that punch for a fraction of a second and he does kind of roll it as opposed to following through.
It's almost as if he did think about it but thought he would lose face if he pulled out of the punch. When he put his hands to his head it wad like he was saying to himself why didn't I pull out of that punch?

you watch it again in slow motion, there is definitely a pause... Perhaps he was looking to home in with the punch as to put it on his nose? Yet I don't see it as that, the 1st punch hurt him that 2nd didn't.

If there was a pause then surely that makes the punch more intentional .

well it certainly does seem to indicate that it was though about!

It is not the greatest publicity for the game right now. But I think a lot of people will be looking forward to next good Friday. In football a ban tends to end just before the return grudge match, People will want to see Flower play in the next game against saints so that we can all see the reaction. Football is all about the soap opera that goes on away from the pitch, I just hope sky ramp up the hype because that is one thing they are very good at.

I'm amazed people are so surprised, you see it every week with Wigan. Ratch was taken out last year and we lost players against them this year, only a matter of time till their hoose tactics cost them. Horrible team, horrible coach and horrible hooligan wannabe fans.