It's the inconsistency that is the crime.

[The booze hound]

Quote from the RFL disciplinary site, "The tribunal panel accepted that Flower had been provoked by an illegal challenge from his opponent but took the view that his actions were malicious, intentional and had the potential for serious injury."
Ben gets 6 months, fair enough but surely Hohaia's actions were also "malicious, intentional and had the potential for serious injury." Justice must be seen to be done, in Flower's case it has been but in Hohaia's case it is unduly lenient.
(Hohaia will miss the first warm up game of next season with his EGP, not one competitive match)
Out of this incident St Helens come out of this looking like, well, Saints and they are anything but. They pounced on the moral high ground when it wasn't theirs to take.
I feel very bitter towards the RFL now and don't get me onto my feelings towards St Helens.

[gillysmyhero]

Couldn't agree more, it winds me up the inconsistency of the RFL.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

Absolutely!

[stevethegas]

Couldn't agree more. Last year Ben Westwood got away with "actions (that) were malicious, intentional and had the potential for serious injury." And, unlike Ben Flower, Westwoods punch was absolutely unprovoked.
Not sent off, which he should have been, he then got a one match ban - nothing to do with the fact that he was needed in the international matches later.

The book has been thrown at Ben Flower because of the media's feeding frenzy over this case. Hohaia has really got off lightly when he provoked the whole sorry episode. Yes it's damage limitation etc. But it brings little credit to the RFL's disciplinary that they can be so inconsistent.

Ben Flower is a really good player. We, the supporters of Wigan Warriors and this great game, need to show him our support and backing when he must be going through the mill. I for one do just that and can't wait to see him pull on the cherry and white again.

[Wiganer Ted]

The people invoved in the Match Review Panel and the Disciplinary Committee are not up to the task they have been given to undertake.
Hohaia's grade B falls outside their guidelines of striking when not in possession of the ball. It is a higher graded charge.
Their words used against Flower can equally be used against Hohaia.
Those individuals whoever they are in this case have fallen far below the standards of total honesty.

The freezeframe showing the moment of impact when Hohaia's elbow/forearm hits Flower's jaw is worse than awful. You can see the bend in his jaw, his face distorted through the pain and the fact that both his feet have left the ground having been knocked off his feet by the force of Hohaia's elbow into his jaw.

For me that still image is almost identical to the photograph's taken when Hepworth slammed his elbow into Colin Tyrer's jaw in the 1970 Cup Final. Tyrer's jaw was smashed to pieces and he required extensive surgery.
If Hohaia had hit a smaller man than Flower then they would have suffered the same fate as Tyrer did in 1970.

For the Discipliary Authorities to virtually ignore Hohaia's dangerous and disgraceful actions is cowardice of the highest magnitude.
All of them involved in this sorry business should be replaced and immediately.

[Second Row]

this inconsistency is further demonstrated by the citing of three other Wigan players and no other Saints players for their actions

[Owd Codger]

this inconsistency is further demonstrated by the citing of three other Wigan players and no other Saints players for their actions

Happens on a regular basis and the game in Catalan was a prime example.

[Owd Codger]

All these instances, one after another after another yet the club stay silent.

This policy of silence can't be tolerated it doesn't work and is the most frustrating thing for supporters who feel the injustice, we are not mugs don't treat us like we'll put up with this anymore.

So you want the club to make a situation worse by mouthing off?

The media would just love that, especially at the present time.

Have you ever considered that clubs do that, but behind closed doors?

[TrueBlueWarrior]

All these instances, one after another after another yet the club stay silent.

This policy of silence can't be tolerated it doesn't work and is the most frustrating thing for supporters who feel the injustice, we are not mugs don't treat us like we'll put up with this anymore.

So you want the club to make a situation worse by mouthing off?

The media would just love that, especially at the present time.

Have you ever considered that clubs do that, but behind closed doors?

Well if they do it behind closed doors is it working? NO!!