Six month ban for Flower

[cpwigan]

Whether you agree / disagree with the Ben Flowrer part surely EVERYBODY can see how contrived and kangaroo court this whole episode has been. The RFL has been compliant and led the way in such a farcical case of injustice / unfairness.

[cpwigan]

You defend your player from the moment the incident took place. Yes, the punches were regrettable (If only Ben punched like a wet lettuce) but the crazed lunatic sprinting 30 yards to thrust his forearms and elbows into the jaw of an opponent off the ball was the route to go. Mitigation from start to finish had to be the call. Apologising / kissing ass has led to an injustice and the RFL dragging our sport to the gutter again.

Cloud cuckoo land.

Insult due to inability to debate You never attended a sports disciplinry meeting have you Mike. I have!

[the winky one]

I just don't understand it -where is the fairness in any of this -hohia hits him off the ball and blindside-flower retaliates and second punch obviously cannot be condoned-but last season Westwood with cheap shot breaks green's cheek -one match ban I think and weeks ago wood throws five punches, three making contact-ten minutes in the bin and one match ban- where is there any fairness? It's a mockery, all of it

Because it's Wigan and that has always been a dirty word to most people in Rugby League

[Mike]

You are both arguing that the system is corrupt against us and that we can influence it with argument.

That simply doens't make sense.

I've asked you to tell me why your way would have worked for the benefit of the club and you can't tell me.

You are living in a world that is not realistic.

[John Ferguson]

[/quote]

You seem to be suggesting that he shouldn't have apologised? That's ridiculous. For one, no doubt he felt absolutely gutted that he let himself and his teammates down not to mention the club and the supporters, and so apologising was the least he could do.

By doing so, nobody is selling anybody down the river. It is such pig headed and stubborn attitudes like that that prevent progress being made.

Secondly, the amount of press that this incident has unfortunately generated, that can you imagine the furore that would be created by not apologising? It would certainly show the club and the game itself in a poor light if he had not expressed him regret.[/quote]

What progress? A total injustice, a kangaroo court, a sports disciplinary system becoming a joke.

The apology achieved nothing. It was probably drafted by somebody and Wigan RLFC insisted / advised Ben to make it. YET, it achieved nothing other than allowing the RFL bring the sport into the ultimate disrepute with its kangaroo court.

You defend your player from the moment the incident took place. Yes, the punches were regrettable (If only Ben punched like a wet lettuce) but the crazed lunatic sprinting 30 yards to thrust his forearms and elbows into the jaw of an opponent off the ball was the route to go. Mitigation from start to finish had to be the call. Apologising / kissing ass has led to an injustice and the RFL dragging our sport to the gutter again.[/quote]

I don't understand your attitude. You seem to be think that because he plays for Wigan, what he did is ok. I have a feeling that you would argue that black was white if it suited you.

What a Flower did was wrong. Yes he was provoked, but his reaction was over the top. I've not seen one report slam him for the first punch, it is the second that everybody has a problem with. Not sure how or why you think that was acceptable just because he played for Wigan.

As somebody has said before, the fact that LH only got a 1 game ban is a separate issue.

Apologising certainly did no harm however much you doubt the worth of it, but it certainly didn't mean anybody was being sold down the river.

[Mike]

8 would be OK then?

[Wiganer Ted]

The Hohaia hit was premeditated and appeared intended to injure Ben Flower. If his first punch had been his only punch then it would have been 10 in the bin whether Hohaia got 10 or not.
His second punch was street fighting and is totally unacceptable. He had to apologise.
The police and CPS won't do anything.
If it did go to court Flower's defence barrister would get Hohaia on the stand and verbally take him apart and rip him to bits. That's why it won't go to court, Saints know that as does everyone else involved in the case.
The last thing RL needs is a high profile court case over thuggery on TV every night.
We might not like how Ben has been treated but attempting to defend the indefenible is not an option.
It's 10 SL games, he'll then do a couple on loan and back in the first team.

[ian.birchall]

I thought he would get approx 10 games. It works out as 10 league games, the WCC match and the friendlies. Probably about right. (Stands back and waits)

I agree, as they say there was a fairy name of Nuff.

[cpwigan]

The second punch was distasteful but it was not full blooded and is that any worse than some crazed lunatic sprinting 30 yards to ran his forearms / elbows into the jaw of an opponent?

If people think my call for justice and fairness re disciplinary matters is crazy then I find it even crAZIER FOR OUT FANS TO THINK mCmANUS MEANS anything AND CAN BE TRUSTED WHEN HE PATENTLY BACKSTABBED THOSE CLUBS WHO STOOD UP TO the RFL ealy in the season


(Apologies CAPS)

[cpwigan]

I thought he would get approx 10 games. It works out as 10 league games, the WCC match and the friendlies. Probably about right. (Stands back and waits)

I agree, as they say there was a fairy name of Nuff.

It would be nice Pete for the Supporters Association to grow a set. Can you not see the paradox in celebrating / promoting a self confessed violent ex player but remaining silent when a clean player is treated so shabbily by a Kangaroo Court.