Injured Mika charged for Hull derby tackle

Mika was put on report by referee Richard Silverwood for the challenge which laid out Hull centre Jordan Turner and was yesterday charged by the Rugby Football League’s match-review panel with a grade B offence.

The former Newcastle Knights forward is not eligible for an early-guilty plea and will, therefore, face an RFL disciplinary hearing today with the possibility of picking up a ban of one or two matches.

Ironically, Mika failed to finish the match after tearing a hamstring and is already facing a spell on the sidelines.

Already without the versatile Craig Hall, who strained a hamstring in training, Rovers lost full-back Shannon McDonnell for at least a month with a medial knee ligament injury while Mika faces time out.

“It’s a shame because I thought Con was our best player by far tonight (Monday),” said Rovers coach Craig Sandercock, after the Craven Park defeat.

“To lose him is a big disappointment.”

Hull coach Peter Gentle said: “You’ve only got to look at the table to see how important the two points are.

“We’ve now got to back it up,” he said.”

St Helens forward Tony Puletua also accepted a one-match ban for his dismissal in last Friday’s 20-15 win over Catalan Dragons in Perpignan.

Puletua, who was sent off for a shoulder charge on Catalan forward Gregory Mounis, will miss Sunday’s home game against Huddersfield.

Hunslet Hawks’ David March has been given a one-match ban for making dangerous contact with an opponent in his side’s Co-operative Championship match with Featherstone Rovers.