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Case Detail

Case Number:

ON/1162/22

Matthew Lees #10, St Helens

Competition:

Super League

Match:

Catalans v St Helens

Match Date:

2022-07-02

Incident:

15.1 (b)

High Tackle – Careless – second tackler in, wrapping up

Grade A

Decision:

Charge

Sanctions:

1 Match Penalty Notice

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Not Guilty

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

Mr Langi can be seen to take the ball at first man from a ruck. Mr Lees holds his position in the defensive line and awaits his opponent. Mr Lees is considered at this point. Mr Langi sees Mr Lee’s team mate Mr Walmsley and skips across towards Mr Lees. As he prepares for contact with Mr Lees with his arm slightly raised to use as a ’bumper’. Mr Walmsley makes initial contact with the arm/shoulder of Mr Langi prior to Mr Lees contacting the opponent. Mr Lees holds his position and slightly rotates his right shoulder and contacts Mr Langi in the head. What contacts Mr Langi is unclear in terms of whether it is the shoulder, upper arm or chest however Mr Lees makes contact in affecting a tackle as the second man in, with the head of Mr Langi. Mr Langi requires treatment due to the contact.

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

CEO Mike Rush and Head Coach Kristian Woolf analysed the match footage and demonstrated that both attacker and defender were 'dropping' - defender did not enter the tackle aggressively and was aiming to 'catch' the attacker to drive him back over the goal line.

Contact was with the chest and any contact with the head would have been accidental and not careless and the player did everything he could do to ensure the safety of his opponent.

Decision:

Player was found not guilty

Reasons for Decision:

After hearing submissions from the RFL that this was a careless tackle on behalf of the player, the tribunal head from the club that the player denied the allegation. In essence the player had his knees bent and it reduced his height which matched that of the ball carrier who was also dipping. The tribunal agreed with the further submissions made by the club in that this was not a case of the player shooting off his line in an aggressive manner. The tribunal felt that the players feet and hips were square at the point of impact. It wasn’t clear whether the contact was with the players chest or his shoulder on the ball carrier there was no follow through. It was not obvious to the tribunal that there was any deliberate shoulder rotation. The tribunal felt that the player braced himself for the oncoming contact with the ball carrier and as such this was not reckless behaviour on behalf of the player.

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)