Disciplinary Item
| Case Number | ON/70/13 |
| Name | Lewis Jones |
| Club | Featherstone |
| Shirt Number | 17 |
| Match | Featherstone v Halifax |
| Competition | Warm Up Matches |
| Date | 21/02/13 |
| Incident considered | Fighting in 49th minute |
| Decision | Charge |
| Details of Charge / Reason for NF | Rule: 15.1(a) Detail – Punching – Sustained Grade F |
| Range of Recommended Sanctions in relation to Charged Grade* | 8+ |
| Date of Disciplinary Committee | 05/03/13 |
| Evidence provided | DVD |
| Decision On Charge | |
| Player plea | Guilty plea |
| Summary of CM's submissions on the Charge / evidence | Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 28 February 2013, you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(a) during the above Match. The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred in approximately the 49th minute of the Match. In the Panel’s opinion you came from the substitutes bench, and became unnecessarily involved in a melee throwing punches in a violent manner at an unsighted opponent. The Panel believed that this behaviour was serious misconduct, against the spirit of the game, and that your punches had the potential to cause injury. In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade F offence (Strikes – Punching). If found to have committed the offence, again in accordance with the On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the normal suspension range for such offence is from 8 matches upwards. In addition the Tribunal has the power to impose such fine as it considers reasonable. |
| Summary of Player's submissions on the Charge / evidence | Player pleads guilty to the offence via an email from First Team Coach Daryl Powell. The player is remorseful for his actions. |
| Decision | Guilty |
| Reasons for Decision | |
| Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct) | |
| Summary of CM's submissions on the appropriate sanction | No further submissions |
| Summary of Player's submissions on the appropriate sanction | Player does have a clean record. |
| Aggravating Factors | Player leaves the substitutes bench and strikes an unsighted player |
| Mitigating Factors | |
| Reasons for Decision | The committee have viewed this incident and it is apparent that this player has left the bench and struck an unsighted player. The committee cannot tolerate such violent incidents and a message must certainly be sent that this act is unsavoury and has no place in the game of Rugby League. The committee feel that an 8 match suspension is the minimum that he can expect and the committee feel that this is appropriate in this instance. This will also be accompanied by a £25 fine |
| Suspension | 8 matches |
| Fine | £25 |
| Warning | |