Giants left fuming as O’Donnell sees red at Rhinos

The ex-Australian international was dismissed following a massive brawl at Headingley Carnegie which the visitors claimed was started by Leeds prop Ryan Bailey who was also sent-off.

Irate Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown launched a scathing attack on the Rhinos prop, arguing O’Donnell threw no punches and merely held Bailey back from continuing his attack on Giants captain Kevin Brown.

Front-row Griffin, who caused Leeds all manner of problems with his off-loads during the 38-6 rout which put them top, strengthened that argument.

“Luke did nothing wrong,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“I was sat with him in the dressing room afterwards and he couldn’t believe he’d been sent off.

“If Ryan Bailey decides to start throwing punches like he does, he has to expect people to come in, but Luke just tried calming it down. He’s lucky Luke didn’t throw any back as he would have known about that. I think it’s his reputation that has seen him sent off and it’s not right.

“He shouldn’t be up before the disciplinary this week and I fully expect to see him playing against Crusaders on Good Friday.”

One of the reasons the New South Wales star opted to move to England over the winter was because of the way he felt he was being treated by the NRL’s disciplinary system where the 30-year-old has the worst track record in the Australian game.

He is expected to have to face the RFL’s version tomorrow while other players are likely to be cited once the match review panel has met to look at the ugly scenes,

But seething Nathan Brown – angered by similar antics last year against Wigan – said: “It was disgraceful, horrible.

“Luke O’Donnell has run in (but) hasn’t thrown a punch, after Kevin Brown had been hit late, off the ball.

“Then Bailey picks him (Kevin Brown) up and punches him. Luke O’Donnell should have run in and knocked him out cold and he shouldn’t have been sent off either because the officials are the ones that let that get out of control.

“It really winds me up. The coaches’ meetings we go to are an absolute waste of time. If key players get hit late, the offenders are supposed to get sent off. It’s an absolutely disgrace.”