St Helens trio banned while Leeds Rhino’s star escapes with fine

The Super League season is still only in its infancy but defending champions St Helens have already been punished for moments of indiscipline by the powers-that-be following a shock 25-24 home defeat against Leeds Rhinos on Friday night. The RFL’s match review panel has handed bans to three of the defending champions’ players.

Both Konrad Hurrell and Sione Mata’utia will miss the next two matches for Grade C offences of striking and dangerous contact respectively, while Curtis Sironen is out for one game on a Grade B dangerous contact charge.

But Leeds second row Sam Walters has escaped with a £250 fine for his late shoulder charge that sparked the controversial passage of play at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Instead of penalising Walters on the night, referee Chris Kendall gave Leeds a penalty for Jack Welsby’s reaction to the incident, and from the resulting kick Hurrell clattered Leeds full-back Richie Myler and was promptly sent off.

Moments later, Blake Austin kicked the decisive drop-goal for Leeds, spoiling the homecoming party for Paul Wellens’ newly-crowned world champions.