Batley slam Dane Manning ban before extraordinary fan request on fighting
Dane Manning will miss Batley's next eight matches.
Batley Bulldogs have hit out at Dane Manning’s eight-match suspension for punching: and have asked rugby league fans if they think similar incidents put spectators off the game.
Manning was handed a hefty ban after a number of flashpoints during a recent Championship derby against Bradford Bulls. Manning and Bulls fullback Tom Holmes were both given straight red cards as a result.
But Manning was then heavily punished at a Rugby Football League tribunal earlier this week and ruled out of the club’s next eight matches.
But Batley have hit back, saying they will fully support Manning and that they are ‘disappointed’ with the length of the ban.
“We’re clearly disappointed at the extreme length of Dane Manning’s ban and will support Dane through the period,” they said.
However, posting on Instagram, they did not stop there.
The Bulldogs then went on to ask supporters if they felt incidents like the one involving Manning were putting people off rugby league, even going as far as conducting a poll on the matter.
They wrote: “We believe in an ideal world punching should not be part of Rugby League but occasionally in such a physical contact sport these incidents can happen and do need to be punished.
“BUT do you believe such incidents actually deter people from watching our great sport?”
The Bulldogs head across the Pennines this weekend to take on Super League heavyweights Leigh Leopards without the suspended Manning.
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