Case Number:

ON/1437/24

Taylor Kerr #13, Wigan

Competition:

Reserves

Match:

Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors

Match Date:

2024-08-10

Incident:

Head Contact

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1 (b)

Head Contact

Grade E

Fine:

£50

Sanctions:

3-5

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 15th August 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 57 12 footage time of the above match. In the Panel’s opinion you have contacted your opponent in the head or neck. The Panel believe your actions were serious 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 E offence – Head Contact

The normal suspension range for such offence is 3 to 5 matches.

• Match Review Panel reviewed an incident in the above match.
• The MRP state that the footage clearly shows Mr Kerr contacting his shoulder to the head of his opponent.
• The incident led to the ball carrier holding his face and then receiving attention from the Club’s medical staff.
• Subsequently following then match, the Leeds Rhinos club sent information from their medical team which showed that the opponent has sustained a significant facial injury.
• Given the tackle itself, the opponent’s instant reaction and attention from medical staff, the Match Review Panel deemed this to be forceful and dangerous and that this was high level of force and danger. One of the examples contained within the Head Contact Sanctioning Framework for high level of force and danger is where contact is made with the ball carrier’s head by the head or shoulder of the tackler.
• For a contact to the head with high level of force and danger, the entry grading the Match Review Panel submit is a Grade D charge.
• The Match Review Panel do not believe that there were any mitigating factors at play with regards this incident.

• The aggravating factors are:
- Tackler makes no definite attempt to change height to avoid the ball carrier’s head.
- The trajectory of the tackler’s shoulder/arm is always going towards the ball carrier’s head.

• The Match Review Panel believe that the aggravating factors are sufficient to move this to a Grade E charge.

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

Player in attendance alongside Shane Eccles (Head of Youth) and John Duffy (Head Coach). Player pleads guilty but challenges the grading.

SE explained that the club had looked through the footage and felt that it should be graded lower.

They feel that TK dips before contact and there is no intent on his part. TK takes the force of the impact between the two players and does not adjust quickly enough when he tries to tackle with his left shoulder.

The Match Officials did not take any action following the tackle and the opponent plays on after being checked over by his clubs medical staff. The club feel that had the injury been caused then the opponent would have been withdrawn from the field.

The club feel that whilst TK is reckless in his actions there is no intent and this was not forceful contact. They feel that contact was accidental and due to flaws in TK’s technique.

JD confirmed that TK absorbed the impact between the two players and that he went low into contact.

TK added that there was no intent on his part and the tackle ended the way it did due to his poor technique.

Decision:

Guilty plea

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Aggravating Factors:

21/07/22 – Strikes with hand arm or shoulder – reckless (Grade D, 3 matches)

Reasons for Decision:

The Tribunal have reviewed the footage and take the view that they agree with the submissions made by the Match Review Panel.

The Tribunal think that this is shoulder to head contact and that would have seen a high level of force used. They cannot see that there was a significant dip made at the time of contact. In fact, on review, it’s almost as though the players feet are fixed and planted and almost straight, with the upward manoeuvre causing the injury.

The Tribunal cannot agree with the club that the mitigating factors apply here and therefore believe that the grading at Grade E is correct.

Credit is given to the player for his guilty plea, although he does have one previous charge from 20222. Taking everything into account the Tribunal feel that a four-match suspension should apply in this instance. There will also be affine of £50.

Suspension:

4 matches