Hull FC's Nu Brown to face no further action as RFL acknowledges wrongful dismissal

Brown became the third Hull player to be sent off in just two games when he was controversially shown a red card for an accidental clash of heads with Ben Currie just before half-time at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Friday.

The RFL has conceded the directive was not clear and that it should only apply to initial contact.

Brown will face no further action, leaving the New Zealand international free to face London Broncos on Sunday.

"Following Monday’s meeting of the match review panel, the RFL acknowledges that the implementation of the new head contact sentencing framework caused controversy and confusion during round two of the Betfred Super League," read an RFL statement.

"This was most obvious in Friday’s match at Warrington Wolves with the dismissal of Hull FC’s Nu Brown late in the first half.

"On studying the incident, the MRP decided it did not merit a charge under the framework. This has highlighted a lack of clarity in the procedures regarding head-on-head contact, which left the officials at Friday’s game in an invidious position.

"The section of the framework relating to head-on-head contact will now be amended, emphasising that it applies only to initial contact. Once the mechanics of the tackle become more fluid, officials are able to use their knowledge and game understanding to mitigate the sanction, to reflect the level of culpability of the tackler.

"This point will be reinforced to Betfred Super League head coaches at a pre-arranged meeting on Wednesday, and to playing representatives of all 12 Super League clubs at a separate meeting later in the day."

Six players have been charged by the match review panel in the aftermath of round two, down from 16 last week following the introduction of harsher sanctions for head contact.

Rhinos pair Sam Lisone and James Donaldson were hit with bans, along with Hull centre Liam Sutcliffe.

Three of Sutcliffe’s team-mates were charged but Jack Brown, Harvey Barron and Will Gardiner all escaped with fines to the relief of Black and Whites boss Tony Smith who saw a heavily depleted side go down 36-10 at Warrington.

RFL director of operations and legal Robert Hicks has commended Hull for their reaction to Brown’s wrongful dismissal.

“We are in the very early stages of the season at all levels having introduced significant changes as recommended by the sport’s brain health sub-committee, and in that regard we thank the players and coaches for their response,” said Hicks.

“Comparing round two of the Betfred Super League to the opening round, there has been a significant reduction in the number of charges, reflecting a significant change in player behaviour – with a tiny proportion of over 3,000 tackle events leading to charges for head contact. It has been a similar story through the early rounds of the Betfred Challenge Cup and the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup.

“However we have acknowledged throughout this process that it would be challenging for all, and that as a governing body we need to be flexible, and sympathetic to those at the sharp end.

“The dismissal of Nu Brown at Warrington on Friday night was an uncomfortable moment for the sport, and it has highlighted a lack of clarity in the wording of the framework as followed by match officials on the night.

“We recognise this will be of little consolation to the player or his club – and we thank them for their measured response.

“Head-to-head contact was an area highlighted as especially important by the brain health sub-committee, given the impact on two players, so it will remain a focus of the framework, and will continue to be sanctioned – specific to initial contact.”

Hull will host London without Sutcliffe after he was handed a two-match ban.

The 29-year-old has been charged with grade D ‘deliberate or reckless physical contact with a match official’.

Leeds have suffered a double blow ahead of Saturday’s visit of Catalans Dragons after losing Lisone and Donaldson to suspension to further deplete Rohan Smith’s pack.

Both players were hit with grade D charges following yellow cards for high tackles in the Rhinos’ defeat against Hull KR.

Lisone has received a three-match ban and Donaldson will sit out Leeds’ next two games, two losses that would be keenly felt should frontline props Mikolaj Oledzki and Tom Holroyd fail to prove their fitness in time for the clash with the Dragons.

The intensifying crackdown on head contact has overshadowed the opening two rounds of the new Super League season but there were signs over the weekend that players were beginning to make the necessary adjustments.

In Saturday’s clash between Huddersfield Giants and St Helens, Daryl Clark was the only player carded for a professional foul.

Saints boss Paul Wellens said: "This game showed that rugby league played in the right way with discipline can be as attractive, if not more attractive, than it's ever been.

"This is new to everybody. Players are making a real concerted effort to try change habits. We're doing that because we know that's the direction the game has to go in."