Meanwhile, at the Rugby....

[Major Tom]

Hohaia's been banned for one match for his forearm smash.

 

Can he expect the police around any time soon, Vlad?

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Irrelevant.

 

Nobody wants prosecutions for the first punch - it's the second when he is totally sparko.

[Major Tom]

Irrelevant.

 

 

Relevant.

 

Read the thread.

[VladimirIlyich]

Yes, what?

 

So, are you going to answer my question(s)? You don't have to, of course. But you're being evasive for whatever reason. Over-stretched yourself?

I said Yes to your examples. Deliberate Elbows,leg breaking tackles and punches intended to cause harm are all criminal offences in my book.

The thing about professional sportsmen and women is that they are role models whether they like it or not and their behaviour influences those people who admire them and play the same sports.

As for overstretching myself,it seems to be yourself who has avoided the GF for a long while and has now barged in and started throwing insults around very quickly afterwards. I dont get involved in personal stuff with other posters,just politicians,royalty and their ilk.

So in summary,we disagree and fine.

[Major Tom]

I said Yes to your examples. Deliberate Elbows,leg breaking tackles and punches intended to cause harm are all criminal offences in my book.

 

 

 

So, do you think the police should be onto Hohaia? That was deliberate and with an obvious intent to injure.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

 obvious intent to injure.

 

I have to disagree.

 

That was a "who the fuck do you think you are, dickhead?" moment, the kind of stuff that happens quite often and not too unlike Soliola and Bateman (who I don't know who the fuck he thinks he is) at the end of the match. Flower had already elbowed Hohaia in the back of the head, which is what prompted the retaliation from Hohaia, which then prompted the first punch from Flower and the rest we all know about.

 

Put it this way, "intent to injure" is a hell of a lot more than a 1-2 game ban which is what Hohaia was charged with, and because Hohaia has a good disciplinary record he has something called an Early Guilty Plea which means that a guilty plea means he will get a one game ban for his part in the incident.

 

If there was "intent to injure" as you state it would be a huge ban for Hohaia too.

[Major Tom]

I have to disagree.

 

That was a "who the fuck do you think you are, dickhead?" moment, the kind of stuff that happens quite often and not too unlike Soliola and Bateman (who I don't know who the fuck he thinks he is) at the end of the match. Flower had already elbowed Hohaia in the back of the head, which is what prompted the retaliation from Hohaia, which then prompted the first punch from Flower and the rest we all know about.

 

Put it this way, "intent to injure" is a hell of a lot more than a 1-2 game ban which is what Hohaia was charged with, and because Hohaia has a good disciplinary record he has something called an Early Guilty Plea which means that a guilty plea means he will get a one game ban for his part in the incident.

 

If there was "intent to injure" as you state it would be a huge ban for Hohaia too.

 

You are probably right regarding intent. But as soon as you going flying into someone with your forearm, you aren't really showing a lot of regard for their safety and the chances of an injury to whatever extent is quite high. And if you did that on the street, that's assault. That's Vlad's point I am responding to and the one I disagree with. The one which he says there is no line between on the field and off it.

[Jose Jones]

Wigan are digging themselves a bigger hole with every passing day. He gets his ban today - hopefully they will appeal the ban like the last time one of their players was dead to rights and he'll get an even bigger ban.

 

I'm loving all this - it's just annoying me that everyone seems to have forgotten we won the league on Saturday.

 

 

 

He's from Maghull, but you carry on.

So you're not a fan of James Graham then? Bit confused. He's made a really good career for himself down here - was voted best prop in the league. He has lost it a bit in two grand finals though.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

That's all fair enough, the debate has been raging for a few days and is only going to intensify after the verdict tonight. The only way I can see legal action being brought about by either Saints or Hohaia is if the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Neither want to get involved with that because that is a gloomy, murky path which has never been trodden before.

 

However, GMP are looking into it and may push with charges. But then they are bound to be looking like they're doing something, everyone is talking about this and it happened on their patch. It was about 25 feet away from where I was sat as well, I had a great view of it.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

So you're not a fan of James Graham then? Bit confused. He's made a really good career for himself down here - was voted best prop in the league. He has lost it a bit in two grand finals though.

 

I'm a massive fan of James Graham, but he isn't from St Helens, he's from Maghull so we can't claim him as our own. And I probably come across as a bit tetchy with that post, sorry. He's one of the best prop forwards I've ever seen. I think I'd be a bit of nark with his record in finals. That must be soul destroying.

 

If you'd said he's one of St Helens RFC's greatest exports on the other hand.....

[Major Tom]

Neither want to get involved with that because that is a gloomy, murky path which has never been trodden before.

 

Yeah, and opens Pandora's Box. In my view, anyway.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

It does open Pandora's Box. I've had a season ticket at St Helens since I was 4 years old. I've been able to remember games since I was about 8 and I have played rugby on and off since I was about 6 and I have never, ever seen anything like that in all my life. I have seen some cracking fights and excellent punches, but that's unlike anything I have ever seen.

 

And that's why I think he could be prosecuted - I have never seen someone punch a man out on the floor sparked out. It is something beyond anything ever seen in rugby league.

[Major Tom]

And that's why I think he could be prosecuted - I have never seen someone punch a man out on the floor sparked out. It is something beyond anything ever seen in rugby league.

 

Yep, a shocking event.

 

Flower's going to carry that round for the rest of his life, nevermind career.

[lifetime fan]

That's all fair enough, the debate has been raging for a few days and is only going to intensify after the verdict tonight. The only way I can see legal action being brought about by either Saints or Hohaia is if the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Neither want to get involved with that because that is a gloomy, murky path which has never been trodden before.

 

However, GMP are looking into it and may push with charges. But then they are bound to be looking like they're doing something, everyone is talking about this and it happened on their patch. It was about 25 feet away from where I was sat as well, I had a great view of it.

 

According to 5live no member of the public has raised a complaint about the incident with them so unless that changes that'll be their way or avoiding getting involved.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Probably be the case mate. Personally, as funny as I find the negative press surrounding Wigan, I am sick to the back teeth of it. I just want people to talk about the champions, because we had to work as hard as we ever had to do for a league title and no fucker is talking about it.

[lifetime fan]

Probably be the case mate. Personally, as funny as I find the negative press surrounding Wigan, I am sick to the back teeth of it. I just want people to talk about the champions, because we had to work as hard as we ever had to do for a league title and no fucker is talking about it.

 

Don't get me wrong, I wanted Wigan to win, but St Helens thoroughly deserved their victory and I'd be majorly pissed off with it too.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

He's been given "a six month ban."

 

The reality of the situation is that he's actually got a 12 game ban, plus two friendlies.

[Major Tom]

Effective from today rather than the start of the season?

 

Rugby (both codes) bans are so fucking stupid.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

It starts today yes. I reckon that amount of games is about right, it was certainly what I was expecting. But they want to dress it up as 6 months when it is nothing of the sort. They're doing that for their own PR. The reality is that 2 months of that is off season and for 4 months he'll just be training with the first team.

[Major Tom]

Rugby union is the same. 3 month bans at the end of seasons which often means 1 or 2 games in reality.

 

It's a ridiculous judicial system. In rugby union, anyway. I know fuck all about league or its processes.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

They're probably about the same. I'm not unhappy with the length of the ban to be honest, I am with the way they have tried to dress it up.

[Lightforce]

I'm unhappy with the way the media has successfully duped most viewers into believing Hohaia started the violence. If the public weren't so lazy and reactionary they would have found out for themselves that Hohaia was struck in the back of the head behind the play to make him so angry to go after Flower. Although some may still have seen it and are quite happy to ignore it so it doesn't interfere with their 'retaliatory act' justifications for what Flower did when he punched him the first time.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

I'm unhappy with the way the media has successfully duped most viewers into believing Hohaia started the violence. If the public weren't so lazy and reactionary they would have found out for themselves that Hohaia was struck in the back of the head behind the play to make him so angry to go after Flower. Although some may still have seen it and are quite happy to ignore it so it doesn't interfere with their 'retaliatory act' justifications for what Flower did when he punched him the first time.

 

Yeah, agreed, that isn't just the media either it is everyone. Lance Hohaia did not start that incident. Period.