Why always me?: Craig Lingard likens 'devastated' Liam Watts to Mario Balotelli after latest disciplinary frustration

The experienced forward received his marching orders in the first half for a shoulder charge to the head of Tyler Dupree as the Wigan Warriors front-rower dipped into contact.

Castleford went on to concede 30 unanswered points in Saturday’s 32-4 defeat at Wheldon Road, representing a nightmare start to the season for Watts as he looks to put his disciplinary issues behind him.

After being suspended 10 times in the previous two seasons, the 33-year-old is facing the prospect of another spell on the sidelines.

Lingard believes Watts has every right to feel hard done by in the same way Balotelli felt he was targeted during his time in the Premier League.

"I feel for him, I really do," Lingard told The Yorkshire Post.

"I don't want to say he's being victimised or anything like that but it just seems like every time something happens it's Liam Watts. He needs that Mario Balotelli T-shirt: Why always me?

"I can't go in that changing room and put a rocket up Wattsy's backside. I walked in and basically shrugged my shoulders.

"It's really, really difficult for me to accept it because if he flies out of the line and deliberately whacks someone around the head with the shoulder or a swinging arm, he'll wear that and know he's doing something wrong.

"I don't see what he could do any differently – and I don't think he even made first contact. It was Westy (Joe Westerman) that made first contact but I don't think they could have done anything differently.

"He's devastated. He's absolutely devastated. Where does he go from here?"

Watts is set to discover his disciplinary fate this afternoon once the panel has reviewed an action-packed opening round.

"Everyone's getting around him but there's only so much you can do," added Lingard. "He'll be stewing over this now waiting for the disciplinary.

"There's a real big decision now for the disciplinary. Do they charge him and if they do what are they charging him for? And if they don't charge him, are they admitting they got it wrong?

"I don't see how he can be sat out for potentially two, three, four weeks."

As many as 13 cards were issued in the first six games of the campaign, including four dismissals.

In previous campaigns, early-season clampdowns on foul play eased as the year went on but the coaches have been assured that there will be consistency throughout.

"That's been the case in the past where you get to week four, five, six and it stops," said Lingard.

"We've been told point blank that's not going to happen this season. We all want that consistency and to know what rules we're playing to from week one to round 27.

"The interpretations should be exactly the same. Red cards should be black and white; there shouldn't be any sort of debate over whether it's a red card or not.

"I just think there's so much debate over this one. We shouldn't be having that."