Peacock is left to face the music alone after Cup brawl

The ex-England captain, 36, has never been banned in his illustrious career but faces a potential two-game suspension when appearing before the disciplinary panel tonight.

He is charged with Grade B punching after retaliating following a challenge from the second-row in Friday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final victory over the Championship side, an incident which saw both players yellow carded.

However, the Leigh forward has been told the sin-binning was sufficient for his involvement despite swinging an arm, aggressively flopping on the grounded Peacock and then using his head, to make contact with his opponent’s face.

It is the latest in a litany of increasingly bizarre and frustrating decisions emanating from the current disciplinary process.

Peacock – joined at tonight’s panel by Leeds colleague Zak Hardaker, who could be banned for eight games after making a homophobic comment in the recent match at Warrington – said in a Tweet regarding Sarsfield’s non-punishment: “Farcical. But sadly I didn’t expect anything else.”

When asked earlier by The Yorkshire Post whether players should be suspended for retaliating to such provocation, the veteran prop said: “Let’s be honest, it (fighting) is not a look you want in the game.

“But we’ve both been sin-binned and we’ve both been punished for it.

“Yet if he doesn’t come in with a swinging arm and head butt there’s no fight, is there?”

On another note, Peacock has suggested a change in how punishments are meted out.

“My worry is I’ve retaliated to something and then someone else benefits from it,” he said, with the Leeds forward set to miss Thursday’s home game with Huddersfield Giants if found guilty and, potentially, a later trip to Widnes Vikings.

“What about, maybe, if you get banned then you should be banned from playing against that same team the next time you face each other.

“That’s something different.”

On the Sarsfield incident, the review panel judged the player “does make an aggressive tackle on opponent and does make contact with head of opponent during the tackle.

“Does become involved in confrontation with opponent however does not throw any punches. Sin Bin Sufficient.”

Peacock was speaking at yesterday’s launch of a special edition yellow Leeds shirt which will celebrate the arrival of the Tour de France in the city on July 5, be worn against Catalan Dragons later this month and also help raise funds and awareness for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Hardaker, meanwhile, is charged with the Grade E offence of “using verbal abuse based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual preference, national or ethnic origin” during Leeds’s loss at Warrington.

The England full-back was heard making a homophobic slur, something referee James Child referred to in his match report, and, though Hardaker has apologised and insists the comment was not directed at the official, he has already admitted aiming it towards Warrington hooker Michael Monaghan.

The 22-year-old will face the disciplinary but has gone on record as saying he will accept whatever punishment comes his way so that appearance will perhaps only be to offer his case for mitigation with the minimum suspension being four games.

Bradford Bulls forward Jay Pitts, currently on loan from Hull FC, is also facing a grade B charge of a dangerous throw on prop Anthony England during his side’s 46-10 Challenge Cup defeat to Warrington on Sunday. He has until 11am today to submit an early guilty plea but, otherwise, he could face a two-match ban.

That would see him miss Sunday’s crucial relegation battle at Salford Red Devils with Bradford already shorn of firepower up front given Antonio Kaufusi, the ex-Australia prop, who has been on loan from Huddersfield for the last five weeks, yesterday turned down the chance to extend his deal until the end of the season.

Instead, Kaufusi, 29, returns to his parent club – whose assistant coach Kieron Purtill has signed a new contract until the end of 2016 – and will try to force his way back into Paul Anderson’s plans, though it is unlikely he will come into contention for Thursday’s trip to Headingley.

Keighley Cougars, having lost their Challenge Cup quarter-final at Widnes last Thursday, are back in Championship action tonight at Whitehaven.