Case Number:

ON/694/22

Sam Powell #9, Wigan

Competition:

Super League

Match:

St Helens v Wigan

Match Date:

2022-04-15

Incident:

Crusher tackle

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1(i)

Dangerous Contact

Defending player, in or after effecting a tackle, uses any part of their body forcefully to bend or apply unnecessary pressure to the head and/or neck and/or spinal column of the tackled player so as to keep the tackled player at a disadvantage in or after the tackle.

Grade E

Fine:

£500

Sanctions:

5-8

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Guilty

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

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 16 April 2022, you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(i) during the above Match.

The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred at 1:19:40 Opta time of the above match. You were sin binned following the incident. In the Panel’s opinion you have applied pressure to the head or neck of the opponent. The Panel believed that your actions were unnecessary, against the spirit of the game and had the potential to cause injury.

In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade E offence – Dangerous Contact - Defending player, in or after effecting a tackle, uses any part of their body forcefully to bend or apply unnecessary pressure to the head and/or neck and/or spinal column of the tackled player so as to keep the tackled player at a disadvantage in or after the tackle. The normal suspension range for such offence is a 4 to 8 matches period or period suspension.

• MRP reviewed an incident which took place in approx. 55th minute.
• Mr Powell was temporarily dismissed following the incident.
• The footage shows the opponent Mr Bennison take a carry into contact.
• Mr Powell comes in as third man and can be seen to take a grip with his right arm over the top of the opponents shoulder and left arm under the opponents other arm and locks his hands together.
• Mr Powell holds, then pulls his opponent upwards before losing his feet and dropping down with his opponent to the ground, maintaining the grip.
• This opponents head and neck can be seen to be pressed against his chest thus applying pressure to this area.
• Mr Bennison is left in a vulnerable position by the initial mechanics of the tackle and the grip applied by Mr Powell.
• There is potential for such incidents to have life changing injuries to opponents.

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

Player in attendance alongside Matt Peet (Head Coach). Player pleads Guilty.

The club admit the charge and that the tackle looks bad and was bad. The explained that when SP realised the position he was in he tried to stay on his feet for as long as possible and did not apply all his weight.

As a hooker SP plays a lot of minutes and makes a lot of tackles and whilst he has some previous charges his record not bad for the amount of involvement he has during a game.

The club felt that there are a lot of previous examples of this kind of tackle that are far worse and that any suspension should be towards the lower end of the grading.

Decision:

Guilty plea

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Summary of CM's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

• Graded E due to:
- Vulnerability of the opponent.
- The highly dangerous action of the player. This is not a recognised tackle technique.
- The potentially serious implications that a tackle of this nature may have. No mitigation that the opponent did not sustain an injury.
- Players have a duty of care to their opponents.

Aggravating Factors:

CHARGES
15/04/19 – Dangerous Contact (Grade C – 2 matches)
31/07/17 – Dangerous Contact (Grade B – 1 match)
16/02/15 – Dangerous Contact (Grade B – 1 match)

CAUTIONS
10/05/21 – Dangerous Contact
26/02/18 – Tripping
19/06/17 – Intentionally stands on opponent
18/07/16 – Dangerous Contact
21/03/16 – Dangerous Contact

Reasons for Decision:

In the second half of this game a St Helens player (Jon Bennison - JB) was tackled. That tackle had been substantially completed and JB was held in the tackle.

At that point Sam Powell (SP) joined into the tackle and with considerable force connected with JB who was thereby thrown to the ground so that he landed very forcefully and dangerously on his back with his back/neck being subjected to significant flexion.

The RFL have charged SP with making Dangerous Contact with an opponent.

SP accepts this charge and admits that his contact was dangerous.

Indeed, to his credit, SP accepted his dangerous contact before being sent from the field of play and offered an apology to JB. Further, at all points after the game SP and his club, Wigan, have accepted their fault and apologised for it. It is said that SP’s admission of guilt this evening is a further reflection of that apology.

Therefore, the only question for the Tribunal is what level of penalty to impose.

There is no issue but that this case falls to be considered as a Grade E offence which carries a range of suspension between 4-8 matches.

On behalf of SP it is said that although the tackle “looks bad and is bad” there are worse cases that can be contemplated and which would merit suspension at the higher end of the range. There was no actual injury, SP did manage to break JB’s fall to some limited extent, SP has admitted his guilt and shown true remorse and he does not have bad disciplinary record especially for a player who is regularly called upon to make tackles.

In these circumstance the Tribunal assesses SP’s case as falling in the middle of the Grade E range of sanctions. There will be a 6-match suspension and a fine of £500.

Suspension:

6 matches