Shorrocks receives two game ban

New Leeds Rhinos loan signing Joe Shorrocks has received a Grade C charge by the RFL Match Review panel which carries a five point tarif and the club will not appeal the verdict. 

When an offence adds points to a player’s record that leads to the player receiving a sanction – either a fine or a suspension – the number of points added to their record for that offence will be reduced by 50%. This is to recognise that the player has previously served a sanction however there remains a percentage of points on the player’s record to acknowledge that they have committed previous misconduct.

This season has seen the introduction of a points-based system, with suspensions to be incurred when players reach certain pointsthresholds – rather than as the result of the grading of each individual offence, as previously.

Offences are still graded – now in five categories from A-E, rather than six from A-F as previously – and the two most serious categories, D and E, will still incur an immediate suspension.

But the principle underlying the changes is to reduce the number of players being suspended for relatively minor offences, unless they are consistent offenders in which case they will accumulate points beyond suspension thresholds.

Players would be fined for any Grade A, B or C offence that left them with 5 points or fewer. Any offence that takes their points tally to between 6-11 points would result in a one-match suspension, with an additional fine if they have 9-11 points.

Reaching 12 points – the penalty for a single Grade D offence – will result in a two-match suspension, with an additional fine for 15-17 points, and a three-match suspension kicking in at 18 points.

Because of previous suspensions, Shorrocks already had 15.5 points on his record hence the two match suspension and a fine. 

There will be a fine in addition to a three-match ban when players reach 21-23 points, with a four-match ban from 24-29 points (and an additional fine for 27-29), a five-match ban for 30-35, a six-match ban for 36-38, a seven-match ban for 39-41, and bans increasing by one match for every three points from then on – with an automatic fine for any offence resulting in a player having a tally of 33 points or more.