'Game's gone': Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella's agent hits out over rugby league's player punishments

Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com - Hull Kingston Rovers' captain and back-to-back player of the year Elliot Minchella
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella's agent has said "it's not tag rugby" after the player's ban for a high shot was upheld after a hearing - which means Rovers' back-to-back player of the year is ruled out of the upcoming play-off semi-final, the biggest game of their season so far.

Rugby league's crackdown on head contact, in the form of the RFL's laws, has led coaches to publicly speak out about excessive punishment this year. The governing body, though, is seeking to protect players and minimise contact to the head, which leads to less chance of future penalties for the sport.

After the Minchella incident though, the opposition coach on the night, Leigh Leopards' head coach Adrian Lam, was asked about the sin-binning of the player in his post-match press conference and responded: "I don't think those incidents are sin-bins but the way that we've been this year it's the way that that is. There's another time to talk about that sort of thing."

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Graeme Taylor, Minchella's agent, has stood by his views, which were posted on social media platform X after the Minchella verdict was upheld: "Games gone..as a sport we constantly try and make sure our best players are not playing in big games, all because a few ex players who are short of a few quid and want to get a payout, time these players names are published and see them removing their claims, it’s not tag rugby."

Rovers are expected to make a decision today on whether or not they decide to appeal against the hearing outcome on Minchella's ban. After studying the detail of last night's hearing, Rovers will have to decide if they can try to find a way to potentially change the verdict in the way that St Helens did when they succeeded with a second appeal to free Morgan Knowles to play in the 2022 Grand Final, which they won, against Leeds Rhinos.

In a statement after last night's Minchella decision, the RFL stated on their website: "The independent Operational Rules Tribunal have upheld a Grade C head contact charge served to Hull KR’s Elliot Minchella arising from their Round 26 Betfred Super League fixture at Leigh, meaning he will be unavailable for their Semi Final next Friday (October 4).

"Minchella had been charged on September 16 with Grade C head contact, which carried a two-match suspension because of his previous record.

"He served the first match of that ban in Hull KR’s Round 27 victory over Leeds Rhinos last Friday, and the independent Operational Rules Tribunal rejected a challenge against the grading – meaning he still has one match to serve."

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