Wigan haven’t ‘got around’ anything. Their players have been banned and they’ve been told when they’re available again under the rules.

I think we need to schedule a reserve fixture for the day before the GF just in case

Same old Wigan, always cheating

Yeh, just about to raise the International "loopholes" used previous by many clubs whose holier than though supporters are posting on here (apart from (tongue in cheek) Saints of course). You've done so already and with some style

Its a daft rule but as others have said, lots of other clubs have used it too. We used the mid-season International to reduce Knowles's ban by a game and used a pre-season friendly this season for LMS's 1 game ban from the Grand Final.

However I think what is making other fans annoyed is that they don't fully know the rules. They are presuming that everyone can do this as long as there is a Reserves fixture and are wondering why their clubs haven't done it.

However the rule is only applicable if the first team haven't got a game and have a free weekend as is the case with Wigan.

I'm annoyed by it as I would've liked Wigan to play HKR or Leigh without those players as their chances of losing would be greater however I guess that's their reward for finishing in the top 2 and being able to use the rule.

Yeh, its only a rare set of circumstances that this can be done and it is when the first team do not have any game. I can see its a tricky bit of legislation as it could be used "the other way" ie if a player is only banned from the first team then they could turn out for the Reserves and keep fit (for example)

We need to stop banning everyone for trivial offences. I see very few tackles these days which have deliberate intent. Making contact with the head after first hitting the ball should just be a penalty, a crusher tackle where the attacker is backing into the defender should be another that is dealt with leniently as should tackles that are slightly late. These guys are playing at 100 miles an hour and consequently some tackles are going to be mistimed.

One thing that should be considered is having a two week gap between the semis and the final so that lads who failed HIAs can play.

If you were responding to me I think you misunderstood what I was saying.
Or maybe I should have put "got around it" instead.
I`m actually saying you have done nothing wrong and nothing other teams wouldn`t do in the same situation.

Amone available for Leigh after successful appeal, it's a fix !!!!!

Fair enough but the point I’m getting at is they’ve not only done ‘nothing wrong’ or ‘nothing other teams wouldn’t do’, they’ve actually done literally nothing. They’ve had players banned and been told when they’ll be back available for first team rugby.

I actually think that is fair enough if it was the incident with King. Unless there are bad fouls we don't need to see anyone suspended, particularly at this time of the season.

that'll never happen as its common sense, good shout on the HIA

My few on the MRP, is we should all know who’s up for bans after watching the games - really bad high shots, shoulder contact to the head, bad cannon balls, obvious crushers.

It should be obvious to someone watching the game.

However it’s just an absolute lottery and they watch every tackle and most of the time we have to trawl through the game to see what people have been banned for.

The model needs to go back to looking at just issues put on report by the ref, rather than the forensic investigation they do every Monday. We’ll have each game broadcast (in some way) next year, so let the 4th official raise things in his report if needs be and they might get a few more to get excited by (but not as many as they find at the minute).

A real worry with every game being broadcast is that even more bans are likely to come on the back of it. It feels like you’re more chance of a ban in a tv game, so with all of them on, it’ll be open season.

What about the off the ball offence that`s missed by the ref?
If they only pick up on what the ref puts on report would that open the door for more off the ball incidents?
I do like the captains challenge they`ve introduced in the NRL.
Having said that with some of our refereeing decisions we could be playing until midnight.

Serious foul play off the ball could always be cited after the event. We all see obvious incidents every week but we’re all walking away from games and not expecting any disciplinary repercussions and then come Monday, there has been 4 or 5 bans from 1 game and dozens of incidents have been looked it. That game Friday didn’t feel a dirty game and then there’s an explosion of incidents noted on the Monday.

Fully agree.
I posted a couple of seasons back that if the ref has missed a trip on a player for example that should not be brought up by the panel.
It`s been missed, nobody died, move on.

Did Matt Parcell grab the referees arm immediately after the Mellor no try?

Haven’t seen a reply but looked like it to me, he should miss next week.

I’ll wait until after the game tomorrow before I decide if he should miss next week or not.

Was out tonight so didn’t see it live, eating the replay I’m pretty sure he didn’t touch him.

Yeh, I thought he went to grab the ref but stopped himself at the last moment?

Didn't have access to replay it. Just asking.

Looks like he went to grab and pulled away

Fair enough