Lauaki to face RFL hearing
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Your support makes all the difference.The Wigan forward Epalahame Lauaki, will today face a Rugby Football League disciplinary hearing, charged with making a dangerous tackle during a defeat by Warrington last Friday. The former Hull player was placed on report twice by the referee Richard Silverwood, once for leading with the forearm and once for a spear tackle on Matty Blythe.
Lauaki has escaped punishment on the first offence, but the penalties that Warrington were awarded were instrumental in their 22-20 comeback victory. While not disputing either of those decisions, the Wigan coach, Shaun Wane, will contact Stuart Cummings, the referees chief, over some concerns arising from the match. In particular, Wigan claim that the match video shows that Brett Hodgson's winning kick was taken several metres forward from where the offence took place. The shot at goal barely scraped over the bar.
"There were some decisions I will be contacting Stuart Cummings about, for clarification," Wane said.
Warrington's Ben Westwood will also face a charge of striking with the forearm today.
Huddersfield have suffered extra setbacks after the 40-22 defeat at Hull KR that cost them their place on top of the Super League. Their captain and loose forward, Kevin Brown, has a recurrence of the ankle injury that ruled him out at the start of the season and David Fa'alogo has a compound fracture of a finger. Fa'alogo was playing only his second match after major back surgery at the end of last season.
The versatile St Helens back Nathan Ashe is set for a loan spell with the Championship's bottom club, Swinton.
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