Case Number:

ON/0122/24

Tom Amone #8, Leigh Leopards

Competition:

Super League

Match:

Leigh Leopards v Huddersfield

Match Date:

2024-02-16

Incident:

Head Contact

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1 (b)

Head Contact

Grade B

Fine:

£500

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 19th February 2024, you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(b) during the above match.

The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred at 17 01 footage time of the above match. In the Panel’s opinion you have contacted the opponent’s head. In the Panel’s opinion they believed your actions to be misconduct and against the spirit of the game.

In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade C offence – Head Contact.

The normal suspension range for such offence is from a 1 to a 2-Match suspension.

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 19th February 2024, you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(b) during the above match.

The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred at 17 01 footage time of the above match. In the Panel’s opinion you have contacted the opponent’s head. In the Panel’s opinion they believed your actions to be misconduct and against the spirit of the game.

In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade C offence – Head Contact.

The normal suspension range for such offence is from a 1 to a 2-Match suspension.

• Match Review Panel reviewed an incident in the above match.

• Mr Amone contacts the head of his opponent with his own head when attempting a tackle.

• The Match Review Panel deemed this to be forceful and dangerous and the level of force was low.

• Further to recent communications with stakeholders within the sport, head on head contacts where initial contact and deemed to be low force, will be deemed to start as a Grade B if the tackler shows an attempt to lower their height.

• Based on this the Match Review Panel are happy to cede that this contact is to be charged as a Grade B offence further to the previous letter which stated that the charge would be brought as a Grade C.

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

Player in attendance alongside Derek Beaumont (Chairman), Chris Chester (Head of Rugby), Neil Jukes (CEO) and Adrian Lam (Head Coach). Player pleads Not Guilty.

It is the player’s and the club’s contention that the player did not make contact with the opposition’s players head nor was it misconduct or against the spirit of the game.

Whilst both the player and the club accept contact occurred, they will demonstrate that the contact was initiated unintentionally by the attacking player in an accidental clash of heads and that Tom Amone’s actions were correct as coached and as per the RFL framework. This is supported by the statements attached from Adrian Lam (Head Coach) Chris Chester (Head of Rugby) and the player. This will further be supported with the footage from Opta and also our own footage along with stills from both sets of same.

The statements of all three referred to describe the incident the same way; however, I feel it would be most useful to use the one provided by Adrian Lam when viewing the footage and the stills.

During pre-season we operated a workshop on head contacts and were very aware of the issues around them, which in all honesty have always been a concern to the game and tackling around the head or use of the head has never been allowed in the game. That said as a compliant club and in order to minimise our own concussions and HIA assessments and to protect our players we had a particular focus on lowering our tackle technique to avoid unnecessary penalties etc. This was compounded with a visit from senior referee Chris Kendall which the club found very useful in terms of where Chris was demonstrating they were wanting to see initial contact.

Image 1 clearly shows Tom Amone has got himself set square with his knees bent, his back bent and his arms pointing downwards as coached and as per the framework provided from the RFL.
Image 1A clearly shows the initial point of contact where there is clear separation between the players’ heads. Tom Amone still has square feet and bent legs; however, his back has been forced upright and straight from the force gained from the attacking player lowering himself to generate force at point of tackle and gain dominance. Tom Amone’s hands are wrapped around the player below armpit as directed in good technique and if anything, the image shows Tom Amone’s head is leaning backwards to protect himself rather than engaged forward.

Image 2 clearly shows the initial clash of heads which appears uncomfortable for both players; however, it can be seen that the head of the attacker is in ascendancy to the jaw of Tom Amone whose head is forced back and turning from the impact. Tom Amone still has the same correct position with his arms and feet. Image 2A from the opposite side shows the impact from underneath of the attacking player which has now caused Tom Amone’s legs to be upright and being dominated with his head to the side and his arms still locked in the correct position as described by Adrian Lam.

Image 3 Clearly shows at this point that the contact has been caused by the attacking player raising up from a low point as described by Adrian Lam. At this point Tom is still bent forward with legs bent. The attacking player's neck is straight, and Tom’s has flexion sending it backwards.
Image 3A shows that Tom Amone has clear flexion to his head and his upper body has been dominated to have gone from leaning forward bent at the hips to leaning backwards over his knees demonstrating he was being overpowered from the initial contact which was initiated from the powerful charge of the attacker. Despite this it is evident that Tom Amone still maintains his arms in the correct position on the attacker.

The footage and stills support the statements of the player, Head Coach and Head of Rugby. The player’s actions are correctly as coached and as per the framework of the RFL which if you apply to this situation, we would argue should result in an on field penalty to Tom Amone.

There was no penalty given on field by the referee for foul play and neither player went to ground or received treatment nor were there any resulting HIA assessments from the incident. Neither player made any complaints to each other or the referee; it was an accidental clash of heads occurring from both players carrying out their roles as they have been coached; and in Tom's case as per the framework provided by the RFL.

The club would further state that based on the statement made by the RFL on 26th February 2024 that the grading that has been applied to this charge is therefore incorrect and should have been brought as a Grade B.

The club would still be presenting a not guilty plea on behalf of the player to a Grade B charge, but it would raise with the Tribunal that if it were to find the player guilty that it should be of the lower charge of a Grade B something we do not feel the MRP or RFL would oppose.

We would however hope you see the merit of our complete defence and move to supporting the plea of not guilty.

Decision:

Guilty

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Reasons for Decision:

The Tribunal have viewed the footage and listened to the submissions made from both sides.

It is accepted that this was head on head contact in the course of the tackle. This was not secondary contact in any sense.

The obligation is upon the defending player to avoid head-to-head contacts and we find the technique from Tom Amone was poor. He was slightly bent at the knees, but what is to be avoided is head on head contact and on this occasion his body was in an upright position going into the tackle. This was not a textbook tackle position at all. It was an illegal position to adopt and that is why there was the contact.

We have reviewed the mitigating factors and beyond a slight adjustment in his position in terms of the bent knees we find no other supply. The result of this was the attackers head made contact with the jaw of Tom Amone, which in itself demonstrates that Tom Amone was in the wrong position. this is classic head-on-head.

Contact is simply not allowed within the framework because it breaches the tacklers duty of care towards the attacking player. In those circumstances we uphold the imposed penalty notice.

Suspension:

1 match