Disciplinary news: Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers men charged by match review panel
A Leeds Rhinos player has been charged by the RFL’s match review panel over an incident in last Friday’s defeat to Hull FC.
Hooker Jarrod O’Connor was handed three penalty points for a grade B head contact offence. He was fined, but avoided a ban.
Among other players charged following Betfred Super League round 27 was Castleford Tigers’ Jordan Lane. He received an identical penalty for a similar indiscretion.
Penalty points remain on a player’s record for 12 months, but are frozen at the end of the regular season. That means players begin the play-offs on zero points.
Penalties from the regular campaign will become active at the start of the following year. That is to prevent players missing play-offs, semi-finals or the title decider over relatively minor charges.
For example, during the season a player on five penalty points would face a suspension for a grade A offence as the resulting point would take him to six, which is the threshold for bans to begin. For the duration of the play-offs, only points accrued in post-season matches will be carried forward.