Case Number:

ON/945/24

Alistair Leak #9, Batley

Competition:

Championship

Match:

Swinton Lion v Batley Bulldogs

Match Date:

2024-06-16

Incident:

Lifting an injured player

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1 (i)

Makes unnecessary contact with a Player who is or may be injured.

Grade F

Fine:

£375

Sanctions:

6+

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Guilty

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

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 20th June 2024, 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 01 04 30 footage time of the above match. In the Panel’s opinion you have unnecessarily lifted a player who appeared to be injured. In the Panel’s opinion this is serious misconduct, has the potential for serious injury and is 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 F offence – Makes unnecessary contact with a Player who is or may be injured.

The normal suspension range for such offence is 6 matches plus.

• MRP were concerned at the way Mr Leak contacts his opponent.

• The opponent has made a tackle on Mr Leak’s teammate. The opponent stays on Mr Leak’s teammate for a significant amount of time in the ruck.

• Mr Leak can see that the opponent is laying in the way of the ruck, not moving but none the less aggressively grabs a hold of his opponent by the shirt and pulls him forcefully out of the way.
• It is not for any player in any circumstances to have physical contact with a player who may be injured irrespective of whether they believe them to be breaching the Laws of the Game.
• Injured players need treatment from appropriately trained medical staff to ensure that any injury is appropriately managed in the initial stages and is not made worse.
• Whether a player is in fact injured, and if so to what extent, is exclusively a matter for the assessment of the medical staff not for other players or match officials to determine. Mr Leak is not qualified to make that assessment and should not be contacting another player because they are preventing him and his team from playing.
• Contact, of whatever type/force, from another player upon a seemingly injured player has the potential for serious medical consequences for that injured player.
• It can never be acceptable for any player to decide as to the extent of another players injury and then contact him.
• This charge carries a possible Grading from E to F. In this case, the MRP felt that the degree of force used, the fact that the opponent was potentially injured, the length of time prior to Mr Leak pulling his opponent away and the complete disregard for the opponent’s welfare and the negative and derogatory way Mr Leak acted, is contrary to the true spirit of the game with such actions having no place on the Rugby League field of play.
• Information has been circulated with regards to unnecessary contacts on players who are injured or maybe injured, and players must be aware now of their responsibility in this area.
• Graded F due to;
- Unnecessary contact.
- Aggressive action of pulling an opponent.
- Time to assess before making decision to make unnecessary contact on player.
- Duty of care owed to opponent.
- Do not touch players who are potentially injured in anyway.

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

Player in attendance alongside Kevin Nicholas (Chair) and Mark Moxon (Head Coach). Player pleaded guilty to the charge.

The club felt that the player was not aware at any stage that his opponent was injured and no time did he think that he may be injured. He was concentrating on the fact that he was slowing the play-the-ball down and this confirmed by the Referee’s decision to penalise the player.

The player was therefore simply seeking to move the opponent away from the ruck so that the game could continue following the set re-start that had been called.

Decision:

Guilty plea

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Reasons for Decision:

The Tribunal have watched the footage closely on a number of occasions and what is clear to them is that the opponent was apparently motionless for a significant period of time.

It is also clear from the footage that the player was of the view that the opponent was deliberately slowing the play-the-ball down and was imploring the Referee to penalise him. It is also clear that he was looking towards the Referee for a significant period, but once the call came for a set re-start, he went towards the opponent to move him away.

It must have been apparent to the player that something was not right, but his desire to play on was such that he made unnecessary contact with his opponent. That opponent was motionless and was not in a natural for someone to deliberately looking to slow down the play-the-ball. He therefore must have been aware that he might have been injured, but motivated by desire to play on quickly he moved the opponent.

As a result the Tribunal are comfortable satisfied that the charge is made out, however, they consider that:

• The player did not have sight of his opponent for a long time
• The motivation to move him was the call of the Referee
• The movement of him whilst with some force was more a drag than a lift and drop as we see in many cases
The Tribunal therefore feel that a Grade E is most appropriate.

They consider that the opponent had to leave the field having laid motionless for so long so this is a serious matter, and one which gives them a starting point of 5 matches.

However, the panel have bene impressed by the players exemplary previous record, especially seeing as the player has played professionally for 11 years without anything to his name.

The Tribunal therefore feel that 4-match suspension is appropriate. The player will also be fined £375.

Suspension:

4 matches