Case Number:

ON/1569/24

Paul Vaughan #10, Warrington

Competition:

Super League

Match:

Leigh Leopards v Warrington Wolves

Match Date:

2024-08-30

Incident:

Head Contact

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1 (b)

Head Contact

Grade D

Fine:

£250

Sanctions:

3 Match Penalty Notice & £250 Fine

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 2nd September 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 10 54 footage time of the above match. In the Panel’s opinion you have contact your opponent in the head and/or neck. 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 D offence – Head Contact.

The normal suspension range for such offence is from a 2 to a 3-Match suspension plus a £250 fine.

• Match Review Panel reviewed an incident in the above match.
• Mr Vaughan was dismissed from the field of play following the incident.
• The referees report stated that “In the 10th minute of the match Owen Trout was carrying the ball for Leigh when Paul Vaughan (10) made direct contact with his head. Vaughan was upright in the tackle with no attempt to moderate and made direct contact with his shoulder to the head. The contact was forceful and dangerous and high-level force resulting in Trout leaving the field for a HIA. There were no mitigating factors – I dismissed Vaughan from the field.”
• The MRP state that the footage clearly shows Mr Vaughan contacting his shoulder to the head of his opponent.
• The incident led to the ball carrier leaving for a Head Injury Assessment which he subsequently was found to have passed.
• 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 agree with the referee’s account and 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 is always going towards the ball carrier’s head.
• The Match Review Panel believe that the Grade D is the correct grade for this particular act of misconduct.

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

Player in attendance alongside Sam Burgess (Head Coach) and Gary Chambers (Director of Rugby). Player pleads guilty but challenges the grading.

SB accepted that PV did make contact to the head of the opponent, however, the club felt the grading of the charge should be lower.

He explained that a teammate (Luke Yates) made initial contact with a low tackle and this action jolted the opponent forward. PV and the opponent are a similar size and PV had not stepped into the collision. This was not forceful or dangerous and there was no intent.

PV holds his position and the opponent loses height, whilst PV lowers his height slightly. There are mitigating factors and this was careless.

PV tries to perform a “catch tackle” on his opponent and whilst the opponent leaves the field, he does pass his HIA and return 13 minutes later. If this was a forceful and dangerous act then the opponent would not have been able to return.

There is no re-action from any of the players and no re-action from the Referee.

PV then talked the panel through the incident. He added there was no intent on his part and this was not malicious. The tackle happened very fast and was not reckless.

Decision:

Guilty

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Reasons for Decision:

The Tribunal can clearly see there is contact with the head by the player which is not contested by the Club.

The Tribunal believe that the contact was forceful and dangerous and it was impossible to see it any other way. Whilst taking the point about the lower tackle from Luke Yates, the Tribunal felt the ball carrier did go down a little in height but it was not an unexpected and/or rapid drop in height. The opponent was in a reasonable position.

The player is in an upright position and whilst he may not have been driving forward his shoulder is very much in contact with the ball carriers head and this is exactly the sort of situation that the Head Contact Sanctioning Framework is trying to address.

In terms of mitigation the Tribunal feel there isn’t really any when used against the framework.

This is a Grade D matter and as such the penalty for the player is a 3-match suspension and £250 fine as outlined in the penalty notice.

The club will also lose the £500 bond lodged to bring the challenge.

Suspension:

3 matches