MORGAN KNOWLES will sit out the next five games for St Helens following a Grade D Dangerous Tackle charge that will see Wigan Warriors man Mike Cooper sit out the rest of the Super League season.
At the Tribunal, Saints chief executive Mike Rush professed that this was the first time they had been involved in a hearing where medical evidence was given and that Knowles’ tackle was careless rather than reckless.
Rush went further, stating that the footage showed that when Knowles put his hands on Cooper’s shoulder, the latter’s body twists which along with Knowles’ two teammates entering the tackle, added momentum to the accident.
Knowles himself told the Tribunal that Cooper is his friend and that the Saints forward was “gutted” that his actions caused a serious injury.
That being said, the Tribunal reached the conclusion that this act was reckless and graded correctly at Grade D.
The Panel also explained that they didn’t feel that momentum was the reason Knowles feet came off the ground and that the Saints man took his own feet off the ground causing a significant proportion of his body weight to then go through the leg of his opponent.
Aggravating factors were also included by the Panel:
20/03/23 – Dangerous Contact – 1 match
26/09/22 – Dangerous Contact – 1 match
26/08/22 – High Tackle – 1 match
15/08/22 – Shoulder Charge – 1 match
18/07/22 – Dangerous Contact – 1 match
13/06/22 – Dangerous Contact – 0 matches
04/10/21 – High Tackle – 0 matches
Why was a five-match ban handed out when a Grade D charge now yields a two to three match ban?
Well, the Tribunal removed the Penalty Notice in this instance due to the opponent sustaining a serious long-term injury where he will be out of the sport for a minimum of 9 months.
That means that although the Match Review Panel felt the Grade D charge was correct, it was increased outside of the usual three matches due to Cooper’s injury.
