Lions flanker Rhodes cited for foul play

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Lions flank Michael Rhodes and Highlanders wing Siale Piutau will face SANZAR Judicial Hearings on Monday.

The pair were cited for foul play in the Round 15 match at Dunedin.

The citings are for an incident in the 59th minute of the match which was won 26-22 by the Lions and in which Rhodes used a headlock to clear Piutau from a ruck.

Piutau retaliated by twice punching Rhodes in the head.

Both players have been cited for acts contrary to good sportsmanship.

The hearings will be held at the New Zealand Rugby Union offices in Wellington and will be chaired by Sanzar judicial officer Nick Davidson QC.

source: superxv.com


I think both deserve a ban for several weeks.

 

[Seaton]

I think the retaliation was justified, he could easily have been paralyzed

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Retaliation can be done by shoving someone, not punching someone against the head, twice

 

[ranger]

Retaliation can be done by shoving someone, not punching someone against the head, twice

I dont know.. Pushing seems like its done more for posturing and not for effect. Piutau found himself in a very serious situation and freaked out, its what i would have done.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, I reckon he'll get a week or two (probably a four week ban reduced for the Lions player being an absolute c**t)

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I am not defending Rhodes, but what Piutau did is just not something you can do on a rugby field, even as retaliation

 

[Seaton]

I am not defending Rhodes, but what Piutau did is just not something you can do on a rugby field, even as retaliation

I get what you are saying, I think we all do, cause ideally it would have been best if he didn't retaliate, but as ranger pointed out, he was in an extremely threatening position and just freaked out.

Nae criticizing, but I doubt even you would be a bastion of serenity if somone tried to do that to you


Perhaps the Highlanders will call 'Aggravating circumstances'

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Incredibly lucky not to have broken his neck there - disgusting.

 

[TNT88]

I'm not sure if the punch was justified, this is a bit of a test case. Neck injuries can result in death so i can see why he was extremely ****** off. But then we have to come up with a list of infringements which justify a punch to the face, something SANZAR shouldn't have to do. To me 1 week for the retaliation would make sense.

As for the Lions player, i think they should get a doctors opinion on how dangerous the flip was. If it was almost breaking the guys neck, get rid of him for at least a month, we don't want to see deaths on the rugby field. This practice has to be cracked down on.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Wow. Common sense clearly says that 'clear out' is just not on but what is the actual rule? Are players protected from this kind of act by the rules is what I'm getting at? If not hen it seriously needs reacting to. Yeah the guy shouldn't have thrown those punches but I can imagine the adrenaline! I mean, someone literally just tried to break your neck! I know Rhodes is new to pro rugby but use some common sense FFS! You can't go endangering people's lives on a sports field.

 

[Larksea]

that was sickening and I hope they make an example of him so players think about what they do in that sort of situation.

 

[Darwin]

Michael Rhodes has been found guilty and banned for six weeks.
Piutau was found guilty of punching, but escaped a ban due to 'exceptional circumstances'

 

[FlukeArtist]

I tell you what- if I had been Piutau I would have got up and punched that absolute idotic thug Rhodes too.

That is one of the most disgusting things i have seen on a rugby field.

It was almost like he was trying to rip his head off.

6 weeks isn't long enough

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Another way to look at this is what if the situation was reversed? If Piutau had done that to Rhodes I think you'll find people would be saying exactly the same thing the other way around. I'm sure Fluke Artist and others aren't being biased here and would've wanted the same things they want, the other way around.

In a flash you realise that someone could've robbed you of the ability to move......ever and had the potential to have killed you. Not by accident, but by the most reckless means they had at their disposal, a headlock and flipping your prone body by the neck. If Piutau would've done that I wouldn't have been sorry to see him receive 10 punches to the head and a year off rugby.

Seriously, we've all seen fights and punches in rugby games. It's wrong and deserves all the sanctions in place for it. Still, the odds of someone suffering a permanent injury from it, (though still there) are immensely smaller than the potential for permanent damage from an attack like that. A player could've been crippled, paralysed or killed.

Piutau can legitimately have felt that he almost had his life ended there and many peoples self-preservation kicks in after something like that and the instinct is to naturally to eliminate the threat, attack it and scare it into submission. When it comes to that level of self preservation, in the face of that kind of attack, I think anyone has that right to a point and I don't think he went past that point.

As a side note, if they don't come down hard on that sort of thing, some idiot will imitate it at a lower grade club level and someone will eventually be killed from it.

 

[Seaton]

I don't think one incident qualifies him as a thug, his record until now has been pretty much spotless

Good that he has a long ban, will give him more time to think about the incident and give him second thoughts the next time he steps on a rugby pitch

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

I don't think one incident qualifies him as a thug, his record until now has been pretty much spotless

Good that he has a long ban, will give him more time to think about the incident and give him second thoughts the next time he steps on a rugby pitch

No I don't think Rhodes is typically a thug, just did a thuggish act in that moment of blinding stupidity. I'm sure upon seeing it he must've learned his lesson. He'd have to have been pretty shocked with seeing it on replay.

 

[smartcooky]

The South African player Michael Rhodes has gone for a skate....a lengthy one!.. Six weeks

[TEXTAREA]The Judicial Officer's findings are as follows:

Michael Rhodes
Rhodes was found guilty of contravening Law 10.4 (e) relating to the dangerous tackling of a player without the ball and was suspended for six weeks.
The SANZAR Judicial Officer ruled that Rhodes had flipped Piutau over in a dangerous manner "placing his head and neck at serious risk of injury". Davidson added that video evidence showed Piutau in a highly compromised and dangerous position.
Davidson ruled that in order for Rhodes' suspension to be effective it should encompass six matches and he is therefore ruled out of all rugby up to and including 31 July 2011.
Rhodes has the right to appeal the sanction.

Saile Piutau
Piutau was found guilty of breaching foul play Law 10.4 (a) relating to punching but has not been sanctioned due to the "exceptional circumstances" of the incident.
The SANZAR Judicial Officer ruled that whilst the player admitted to foul play he had been "seriously compromised" in the incident involving Rhodes.
The Judicial Officer concluded Piutau's reaction was that of someone who had been "seriously endangered". He added that to impose a sanction in these circumstances "would not reflect the effect on Piutau of the incident and a reaction that was the product of shock rather than retaliatory intent".
[/TEXTAREA]

I am also very happy about the bit I have highlighted in Blue.

It was about time the judiciary did what Davidson has done here, and ensure that a six week ban means six matches missed, instead of the travesty last year when Bakkies Botha got nine weeks but missed only three matches.

I hope we see this a lot more often.

 

[DariusLovehall]

You have to be able to protect yourself and part of that is smashing the bloke who tried to break your neck.
To be fair, im not convinced Rhodes was trying to do Piatau grevious harm but he was extremely reckless and deserved the ban.
I had this same argument over the Tuilagi v Ashton incident where most NH'ers and a trolling SH'er who kept reminding me
he was Samoan kept trying to say players shouldn't have the right to protect themselves or to react to a dangerous or threatening situation.

I reckon if this had of happened in the NH Piatau would've been suspended... im glad our judiciary hasn't switched to the tiddlywinks rulebook yet.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Fair play. I wouldn't have been to troubled by a more lengthy suspension even. Its just unfair to see 'higher profile' players get away with shorter suspensions but I guess thats where money starts becoming a factor.

I hope Rhodes apologized to Piatau. That clear out was just insanely reckless. Can't blame the bloke for that instinctive striking.

 

[Sparty]

Firstly in my opinion Rhodes got off lightly , the argument that it was not intentional is irrelevant , this is super rugby and he is a professional rugby player , this is not club rugby , in every other environment he should have been expected to act like a professorial and know the rules - argument done as far as I am concern. He basically tried to screw the guys head off and can count himself lucky that Saile Piutau is not a huge bloke and that he was positioned so that his body offered less resistance and followed his head , otherwise I am afraid Saile Piutau would have been paralyzed at the very least !! I would ban him for 6 months !!!

Now also back to Saile Piutau , while it is noted that he retaliated under extreme circumstances and I would have probably done the very same thing without the fear of my career to be honest , rules are rules and he should have coped a 2 weeks ban for that punch. Sorry but it sets a bad precedent , what if the next player that gets high tackled gets up and punches the guy ? a high tackle is just as dangerous but less avoidable. Just saying they opened an unnecessary can of worms and made it look bias towards SA players again , they just provided fuel to the whole stupid debate that SA players are hard done by ! I really hope that the next SA player that retaliates for a dangerous foul don't get banned.

Having said all that I also want to add that it was a awesome punch !! Not that I promote punching or agree with it but if you gonna be guilty you might as well do it right !! Will make the list of top 10 punches in super rugby , might even take the number 1 spot !!