Rhinos youngster handed 4-match ban: Hunslet RLFC man suspended following red card

Ben Hursey-Hord was sin-binned during Rhinos reserves’ win over Bradford Bulls two weeks ago and later charged by the match review panel with a grade E dangerous throw.

In the disciplinary panel’s minutes, the tackle was described as an “extremely dangerous act with the potential for serious injury”.

The notes stated: “In the panel’s opinion you have lifted your opponent and thrown him to the ground. The panel believed your actions were unnecessary, had the potential to cause injury and are against the true spirit of the game.”

Hursey-Hord pleaded guilty, but told the hearing he “did not mean for the tackle to end the way it did. He had his head down and he did not see where his opponent was. He felt that this was unfortunate and that he felt bad about how it had ended”.

Rhinos’ player pathway development manager John Bastian said the incident was caused by “poor technique” and came in the player’s first game back after a 15-month injury layoff, when he was still “rusty”.

Noting the player “pleaded guilty and acknowledged his actions were wrong”, the panel issued the minimum suspension for a grade E charge. He was also fined £75.

Meanwhile, Hunslet’s Lewis Wray successfully challenged the grading of a charge of punching in the Betfred League One fixture against North Wales Crusaders on March 5.

Wray, who was sent-off, was charged with a grade E offence, but the tribunal downgraded it to C and he was suspended for one match.