Leeds Rhinos • 2023 | Injuries & Suspension

As for the appeal? Sanity has prevailed. I'm all for believing the team of officials in the absence of contradictory evidence, but they only get one look and there was a hell of a lot going on, I don't think it undermines them whatsoever to say "We've had a look at all the footage from half a dozen HD cameras at different angles, zoomed in, slow-mo'd, freeze framed, and it turns out you were mistaken." I don't blame the lino, he might have mistaken a grab for a punch, which is easy enough to do, but also the brain does funny things while memories are being formed - you see a coming together with one aggressor, you glance the other way for a moment and when you turn back the other party has a bust lip and is covered in blood - your brain can very easily fill in the gaps, turn a shove into a punch and that's instantly your reality. You don't doubt yourself in that circumstance because why would you?

The only problems I have with this whole event is that the video ref had ample time to step in and should have, and the MRP should have looked at the footage before issuing the ban, it would have saved everyone a lot of bother. I certainly don't blame the linesman or the ref who both did what they thought was right, or Lomax (other than for being a d*ck to Walters) because he probably thought he had been punched.