Case Number:

ON/1379/22

Brad O'Neill #, Wigan

Competition:

Reserves Championship

Match:

Wakefield v Wigan

Match Date:

2022-07-23

Incident:

Contact with referee

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1 (i)

Deliberate or reckless physical contact with a match official (e.g. placing hand on arm to attract attention)

Grade C

Sanctions:

2 Match Penalty Notice

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Guilty, but challenge the grading

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

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 28 July 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 41:55 SharePoint time of the above match. In the Panel’s opinion you made reckless physical contact with the referee. The Panel believed that your actions 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 C offence – Deliberate or reckless physical contact with a match official (e.g., placing hand on arm to attract attention). The normal suspension range for such offence is from 2 to 3 matches.

• MRP reviewed an incident which took place in the Wakefield v Wigan Reserves match
• Mr O’Neil can be seen in the defensive line after a penalty has been awarded against Wigan.
• The referee takes up a position within the centre of the field before standing still and blowing his whistle to restart play.
• Mr O’Neil has an unobstructed view of the referee and is very close to the referee at this stage.
• The player can be seen moving laterally across the field to where the ball is and where the referee is positioned.
• The referee moves, leaning his upper body backwards slightly and the player contacts the referee with his shoulder in the back.
• Contact is forceful and you see significant whiplash to the referee.
• No need to make contact with referee.
• Player demonstrates no duty of care.
• Potential to cause injury. Referee is vulnerable and does not expect this type of contact.
• Contact with Match Officials is serious misconduct as Officials have the right to feel safe when they enter the field of play

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

Player in attendance alongside Lee Briers (Coach). Player pleads guilty but challenges the grading.

LD addressed the panel and explained that whilst they agree the player is guilty, they do think that the grading of the offence should be lower.

They believe the players contact was careless and was not reckless. LB then talked the panel through the incident in which the player had to move closer to the Referee following the opponents taking a tap penalty away from where it should have been taken. They believe that whilst contact is made in the back of the Referee this is partly due to the fact that the official moves back as the player moves across. This is an unfortunate collision in which the player also tries to stop the Referee falling after contact is made.

The club then introduced a comparison clip (Gale – Leeds v Warrington – Grade B) which they felt was a worse example of the charge but had been graded lower.

Decision:

Guilty plea

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Summary of CM's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

• Grade C due to:
- Reckless contact and unnecessary contact
- Brings the game into disrepute
- Potential for injury. Referee is vulnerable.
- The game must be seen to protect Match Officials

Reasons for Decision:

The Tribunal thank both sides for their submissions.

They note the guilty plea entered by the player but having watched the footage believe that whilst the player did not change direction as he moved off the defensive line he did try and mitigate the amount of force that was used before contact with the Referee.

The panel are in agreement with the club that this was careless rather than reckless and as such believe the charge should be downgraded to Grade B. the challenge is therefore successful.

They panel note the players previous exemplary disciplinary record and therefore agree that the player is suspended for 1 match.

Suspension:

1 match