Chris Houston at the RFL Disciplinary...

[Old Frightful]

So what do people think?

Does he genuinely not see Bentham?,

 

[meast]

The way i saw it,

It wasn't malicious, or a deliberate act to make contact, but he could have avoided it!

You can't tell me that a player won't be aware of his surroundings most of the time and aware that the referee was stood a few feet in front of him when he charged upfield, apparently unaware Bentham was there?

For me, he has to have a duty of care to his fellow players and match officials and by not looking or paying any attention he failed to do that.

Most other players avoid any contact throughout their careers, yet this guy does it 2 years in a row to the same official after that official had just penalised him unfairly, according to the player.

At least a 3 game ban for me.

[Lowdesert]

Last week, Dallimore, for Barrow v Toronto, was worse than that and he got a caution only.  

[JohnM]

The way it happened doesn't matter. Guilty or innocent ,  thd book will be thrown at him. 

[Lowdesert]

2 minutes ago, JohnM said:

The way it happened doesn't matter. Guilty or innocent ,  thd book will be thrown at him. 

I thought the same of the Dallimore incident John.  He seemed to deliberately dip his shoulder into Hewer In the 2nd half last week.  Wouldn’t surprise me if that video is presented at the review.

[Bedford Roughyed]

Did he really run into Bentham last year as the commenters say?  

[Michael Gledhill]

53 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

So what do people think?

Does he genuinely not see Bentham?,

It's not as though he hasn't got previous, suffering a 5 game ban for making contact on the same ref against Wire last year.

Clearly looking at the ball from the end on shot.

Will be difficult to prove that Chris Houston made deliberate contact.

[Old Frightful]

27 minutes ago, Bedford Roughyed said:

Did he really run into Bentham last year as the commenters say?  

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesportsman.com/articles/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-super-league-round-9.amp

[distantdog]

What would he have got for a similar incident with a member of the opposition?

[Bedford Roughyed]

7 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesportsman.com/articles/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-super-league-round-9.amp

hmmm chances of lightning striking twice...

He might be 100% innocent but with that previous I'd expect a ban.  

[David Shepherd]

Looks accidental to me.  Clearly looking at the ball IMHO

[chuffer]

if he got 5 last time surely its the same or more this time round?....he wont be missed, he's a penalty machine and often puts us under pressure

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, distantdog said:

What would he have got for a similar incident with a member of the opposition?

His peripheral vision would have seen something,but totally unaware of what that something was. For all he knew it could have been an opposition player.

[Angelic Cynic]

18 minutes ago, chuffer said:

if he got 5 last time surely its the same or more this time round?....he wont be missed, he's a penalty machine and often puts us under pressure

  I thought you were a Widnes follower?

   From last year - Chris Houston (Widnes Vikings) plead not guilty to a Grade D Contact with Match Official charge in the 76^th minute of Widnes’ Betfred Super League match against Warrington Wolves on April 13. Player was found not guilty and no ban was applied.

     Also - http://www.wissl.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&p=105290

     The RFL may go on the reckless option - but viewing the last of the newfangled disciplinary it seems to go on previous - the previous for Chris Houston is innocence.

     Unpleasant for Phil Bentham,though.I hope he is okay.

 

[Dave T]

Only he will know if it was intentional.

But last year he had a running battle with the ref all game and then ran into the ref off the ball.

Last night he had just been penalised and had a disagreement with the ref and  shortly afterwards ran into him.

Suspicious or bizarre?

 

[chuffer]

21 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

  I thought you were a Widnes follower?

   From last year - Chris Houston (Widnes Vikings) plead not guilty to a Grade D Contact with Match Official charge in the 76^th minute of Widnes’ Betfred Super League match against Warrington Wolves on April 13. Player was found not guilty and no ban was applied.

     Also - http://www.wissl.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&p=105290

     The RFL may go on the reckless option - but viewing the last of the newfangled disciplinary it seems to go on previous - the previous for Chris Houston is innocence.

     Unpleasant for Phil Bentham,though.I hope he is okay.

 

righto...yeh I didn't remember him getting banned and cant remember the verdict but was going off the article which suggested he would have got 5 if guilty

[Old Frightful]

22 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

  I thought you were a Widnes follower?

   From last year - Chris Houston (Widnes Vikings) plead not guilty to a Grade D Contact with Match Official charge in the 76^th minute of Widnes’ Betfred Super League match against Warrington Wolves on April 13. Player was found not guilty and no ban was applied.

     Also - http://www.wissl.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&p=105290

     The RFL may go on the reckless option - but viewing the last of the newfangled disciplinary it seems to go on previous - the previous for Chris Houston is innocence.

     Unpleasant for Phil Bentham,though.I hope he is okay.

 

Good bit of digging mate, I'll amend my opening post.

[dkw]

Just ask yourself this, how often have you seen a player run into another player that far away from where the ball is going to land..... 

[redjonn]

As someone says only he knows if deliberate or not.

He does seem to be looking away and I guess at the ball in the air but if I was going to clatter into someone deliberately then I would make sure i looked as if I wasn't looking.

[Scubby]

3 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

So what do people think?

Does he genuinely not see Bentham?,

 

I have no axe to grind here but watch very closely at Houston's head on 0.03. He glances straight towards Bentham then back at the ball. He knows where he is all right. Whether it is malicious, naive or accidental is open to interpretation. 

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I have no axe to grind here but watch very closely at Houston's head on 0.03. He glances straight towards Bentham then back at the ball. He knows where he is all right. Whether it is malicious, naive or accidental is open to interpretation. 

I cant help but feel you should only get one accidental card to play.

[Scubby]

Just now, Dave T said:

I cant help but feel you should only get one accidental card to play.

Fair comment. Did you see his head glance at Bentham at 0.03 on the video? It was clearly enough time to change his angle of run.

[Scubby]

The only mitigation is that it must have been accidental as Houston doesn't intentionally hit that hard. 

[clogdance]

I have watched about 800 games in my 40 years of supporting Leigh RL and I have never seen anything like this happen. But as for Chris Houston, this is the 2nd time this has happened, each time involving Phil Bentham...coincidence ? I can see a BAN for grandad....

 

[DavidM]

He was looking at the ball , way away from the ball ... could have been the sneaky quick ref glance to hone in then look up at the ball guv while running in a straight line at him routine .... proving it at the disciplinary , who knows . If he gets the book thrown at him Bentham may volunteer to throw it ...and make it the encyclopaedia britannica