Daryl Powell takes aim at Wakefield Trinity star’s ‘crazy’ disciplinary charge following Mikey Lewis incident

Wakefield Trinity head coach has blasted the disciplinary charge handed to star fullback Max Jowitt after a tackle on Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis, describing it as ‘crazy’. 

Jowitt, who has taken a starring role for the Trin since Powell arrived at the DIY Kitchen’s Stadium, was handed a Grade B dangerous contact charge following the incident, and copped three penalty points and a fine as a result.

Powell takes aim at Max Jowitt charge after Hull KR defeat

The incident has left reigning Man of Steel Lewis injured, but Powell feels his fullback didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.

“I don’t know what else they expect him to do, to be honest,” the Trinity head coach told reporters ahead of his side’s clash with St Helens this weekend. “I think it’s crazy to be honest.”

Powell continued: “He’s just trying to save a try and he had micro-seconds to stop it after he got bumped off, so I disagreed with it. It’s not a hip-drop, for me, he’s just trying to stop him. I completely disagreed with the charge in itself, it didn’t make sense.”

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Following a change to the disciplinary system, Jowitt will still be available for his side’s clash against St Helens, and Powell said he doesn’t mind the alterations.

“We’re sort of going towards what Australia are doing. I haven’t got a problem with it (the points system), but we’ll see how it rolls out.”

Despite that, he still feels it was unfair to hand Jowitt a fine for an ‘attempt to stop a try’.

“But, I don’t understand fining Max Jowitt for that attempt to stop a try,” the experienced coach said. “I don’t think you should be taking money off players who are doing their best. I don’t think that is right, and I don’t think that charge is right.”

He also confirmed he didn’t appeal the charge due to the risk of copping extra points, which has already happened this weekend with Salford Red Devils and Joe Shorrocks.

“I didn’t appeal it because you get an extra five or six penalty points,” Powell said. “It’s an open-and-closed case, as Salford have found out this week.”

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