Case Number:

ON/951/19

Jack Ashworth #20, St Helens

Competition:

Super League

Match:

St Helens v Huddersfield

Match Date:

2019-06-14

Incident:

Late contact in the 36th minute (Russell)

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Rule – 15.1(a)
Detail – Strikes with hand, arm or shoulder – reckless
Grade – B

Sanctions:

1 Match Penalty Notice

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Not Guilty

Summary of CM's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 17th June you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(a) during the above Match.

The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred in approximately the 36th minute of the above Match. In the Panel’s opinion you made direct contact with your shoulder to the head of an opponent (Russell) whilst not demonstrating a tackling motion. The Panel believed that your actions were unnecessary and had the potential to cause your opponent injury.

In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade B offence (Strikes – Strikes with hand, arm or shoulder - reckless) The normal suspension range for such offence is from 1 match to 2 matches suspension.

Summary of Player's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Player attending with Coaches Richard Marshall and Paul Wellens and pleads not guilty.

The player was committed to the tackle and there is no evidence of direct contact with the opponents’ head. The contact is body to body and once the player realised the ball had gone he immediately pulled his right arm back.

The opponent left the field of play for a head assessment and returned to play the remainder of the game.

The club have brought a comparison clip of a game involving Warrington Academy. In this clip there is a similar tackle where there is contact with the opponents’ head after the ball has gone. In this instance the play was delayed for 40 minutes whilst the player was taken to hospital due to the severity of the injury. The tackling player in this instance was charged with a Grade B offence. This was a far more serious contact with an opponent’s head and serious injury resulted. If direct contact had been made with the head of this player the tackling player is 108kgs and it is felt a serious injury would have resulted.

This offence is also graded at Grade B and is not as serious as no injury resulted.

Decision:

Guilty

Reasons for Decision:

Having viewed the footage on several occasions this Tribunal are satisfied that there was contact with the opponents’ head during the course of this tackle being made.

This tribunal find the player guilty but are not satisfied the tackling player had a clenched fist and that the contact was direct to the head. It was to the body and then rose up to the head of the tackled player.

The tackle had the potential for serious injury but fortunately no injury resulted. The comparison clip was in the opinion of this tribunal a more serious tackle and was similarly graded. This tribunal feel that they can down grade the grading to a Grade A. As such no suspension is imposed and the player is not subject of a financial penalty in this instance.

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Summary of CM's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

• Player charged under RFL Rule 15.1(a) Strikes – Striking – strikes with hand, arm or shoulder – reckless
• The MRP felt that the player recklessly strikes opponent with the shoulder
• Graded B due to;
- Player promotes shoulder area towards the head of opponent
- Mr Ashworth can be seen putting force into the strike through clenching his fist arm promoting the arm and shoulder towards opponent.
- The opponent immediately falls to the ground following being struck in the head. The opponent receives treatment and leaves the field for a concussion assessment.
- The player can clearly see opponent and his body position prior to promoting the arm towards the opponent’s head
- Player could make a more reasonable approach into contact on his opponent
- Jeopardises the safety of opponent

Summary of Player's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

Good record