Well I meant balls to that photo on a couple of pages back specifically really. But another picture, a different story for me. This one from the Wigan Evening Post - www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... _1_3177961



He's no excuse for what he did and thats my opinion. Intial contact to the chest or not, he still put his forearm/elbow into his face.

Well I meant balls to that photo on a couple of pages back specifically really. But another picture, a different story for me. This one from the Wigan Evening Post - www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... _1_3177961



He's no excuse for what he did and thats my opinion. Intial contact to the chest or not, he still put his forearm/elbow into his face.

Not doubting that the forearm went into the face, or that Joel was intending to smash Yeaman as hard as he could.

That photo shows Yeaman at about the same level as Joel's shoulders but in the other photo they are both stood face to face and the height difference isn't that much, his ball carrying arm is only raised at an acute angle and the part of Joel that makes contact with Yeaman's head is his left arm which is squashed between Yeaman and Westerman.
There's no denying that his arm was raised after the initial contact but compared to Carvell's at Castleford last year that's absolutely nothing.

Also, compare it to Sam Burgess' big hit on Moi Moi in that game against New Zealand. Burgess uses the same technique in tackling that Joel does taking the ball in. Burgess hits chest first then cracks him on the jaw. If that's a legal hit then there's nothing wrong with Joel's either.

Not doubting that the forearm went into the face, or that Joel was intending to smash Yeaman as hard as he could.

That photo shows Yeaman at about the same level as Joel's shoulders but in the other photo they are both stood face to face and the height difference isn't that much, his ball carrying arm is only raised at an acute angle and the part of Joel that makes contact with Yeaman's head is his left arm which is squashed between Yeaman and Westerman.
There's no denying that his arm was raised after the initial contact but compared to Carvell's at Castleford last year that's absolutely nothing.

Also, compare it to Sam Burgess' big hit on Moi Moi in that game against New Zealand. Burgess uses the same technique in tackling that Joel does taking the ball in. Burgess hits chest first then cracks him on the jaw. If that's a legal hit then there's nothing wrong with Joel's either.

Ganson did the right thing when Joel and Yeaman had the initial bust up. That's all it was a bust up, get on with the game. Let's face it, up until that point the game was in contention for being the most boring spectacle since Geoff Boycott opened the batting in a one day match for England. The problem was Joel wanted to kill him. There's a cracking picture on the back of the Evening post. It clearly shows the first contact from Joel to Yeaman was with his free hand, right under the chin. The ball carrying arm and elbow is right behind it though. The intent looks massive, he's even jumped in the air to get a better height advantage, so if the disciplinary people view it this way, then Joel is looking at a hefty ban IMO.

www.wigantoday.net/webimage/wiga ... 489283.jpg

Ganson did the right thing when Joel and Yeaman had the initial bust up. That's all it was a bust up, get on with the game. Let's face it, up until that point the game was in contention for being the most boring spectacle since Geoff Boycott opened the batting in a one day match for England. The problem was Joel wanted to kill him. There's a cracking picture on the back of the Evening post. It clearly shows the first contact from Joel to Yeaman was with his free hand, right under the chin. The ball carrying arm and elbow is right behind it though. The intent looks massive, he's even jumped in the air to get a better height advantage, so if the disciplinary people view it this way, then Joel is looking at a hefty ban IMO.

www.wigantoday.net/webimage/wiga ... 489283.jpg