CASTLEFORD TIGERS have been hit with the news that Sylvester Namo’s five-match ban has been upheld at an appeal tonight.
The Tigers forward was charged with a Grade F Dangerous Tackle on Wigan Warriors’ Willie Isa by the Disciplinary Match Review Panel on Monday following Castleford’s 60-6 loss to Wigan Warriors in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals last weekend.
At an Operational Rules Tribunal on Tuesday, Namo’s charge was reduced to a Grade E and the Papua New Guinea international was subsequently banned for five games.
The Castleford club chose to appeal that five-match suspension, but have revealed that the appeal was unsuccessful and that Namo will sit out the Tigers’ next five games.
Namo will now miss fixtures against Wigan, London Broncos, Leigh Leopards, St Helens and Hull FC.
Isa, meanwhile, suffered a broken and dislocated ankle following the tackle, and Wigan head coach Matt Peet spoke yesterday about why the severity of the injury may have caused Namo’s ban to be longer.
Peet said: “I think it probably is down to the injury. I don’t think the player has set out to intentionally cause that injury to Willie.
“There is a clumsiness about it and I think if Willie isn’t injured then I don’t think the ban would have been as severe.
“I can understand why the ban has been received and I think everyone wishes it hadn’t have happened, both us and Castleford.”
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