Hull KR's Elliot Minchella ban upheld after hearing but club have appeal option

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - Hull KR's Elliot Minchella.
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Hull Kingston Rovers captain Elliot Minchella has had his two-match ban upheld after a disciplinary hearing - but the club have the option to appeal that again.

The first of those games was served on Friday night, September 20th, when the team defeated Leeds Rhinos to secure a top-two finish and home semi-final as their next match. Today's verdict means Minchella - named the club's player of the year last night - remains ruled out of the semi-final as things stand.

Minchella had been given a punishment for a high shot on Matt Moylan in the 24-0 win away against Leigh Leopards, as he was sin-binned, on September 13th, and it was deemed Grade C contact.

READ MORE:Hull KR's 'week off' mentality designed to prime Rovers for semi-final showdown

READ MORE:Hull FC confirm academy intake including son of club legend and brother of first-team player

Rovers, risking a potentially frivolous appeal, decided to contest the grading of the ban but not the guilty plea.

The hearing had been deferred until today, rather than heard last week on Tuesday, for availability of a defence team that Rovers wanted.

After the game at Leigh, Hull KR coach Willie Peters had said in his press conference: "I need to have another look at it but it's another one of those where players are going up and they are coming down, it's very difficult to get your tackle right. I don't think there was any intent there. It's one of those where we will just have to wait until Monday. But hopefully they see it for what it is. I don't think he intentionally went out to swing an arm and take Matty Moylan's head off, that's for sure. It was accidental."

Leigh coach Adrian Lam also responded to a question about Minchella's sin-binning after the game, saying: "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."

St Helens are an example of a second appeal being successful, when they contested Morgan Knowles' ban before the 2022 Grand Final.

Click here - Get the latest news on our Rugby League Live WhatsApp channel