Disciplinary: Barrie McDermott says recent bans are “getting pathetic”

Steven Hughes
Barrie McDermott Disciplinary

Former Leeds forward and Sky Sports pundit Barrie McDermott has called recent bans made by the Disciplinary Match Review Panel “pathetic”.

McDermott was reflecting on another week of talking points from the Match Review Panel. The decision to hand  Warrington winger Josh Charnley a two-match penalty notice has come under particular scrutiny.

Charnley was one of six players to be handed penalty notices. His Warrington teammate Matt Davis was also given a one-match penalty notice for a Dangerous Tackle.

Leeds trio Cameron Smith, Kruise Leeming and David Fusitu’a were also charged. Smith and Leeming were given one match, while Fusitu’a got a zero-match penalty notice.

Wakefield’s Max Jowitt also got two matches for Other Contrary Behaviour, and Konrad Hurrell got one match for a late hit.

Posting on Twitter, McDermott said: “I like to think I have a balanced view of RL literally experienced 1000’s & 1000’s of games at all levels in 40 yrs.

“Of course I played in a different era, a brutal era. I understand the game has to evolve but it’s getting ridiculous now some of the suspensions are just pathetic…”

Disciplinary Processes explained on Sin Bin

Robert Hicks has discussed the impact of players’ previous records compared to match bans.

Our League show ‘Sin Bin’ returned to the app for the first time since 2020. The show allows fans a chance to get a first-hand and detailed explanation of some of the key decisions taken by the Match Review Panel.

Speaking on Our League, Hicks said: “One thing I’d really like to say, because I know we have a lot of issue about this. The Match Review Panel charge a grade. It’s A, B, C, D and F. That then has a panel on it, for example if it’s an A, it will be zero or one.

“The determination of how many games you get is not about the severity of the offence. That’s what the grade is. You get a match ban if you have a record as per the rules.

“So, you can have two players do exactly the same thing; one can get a Grade A zero matches, and one can get a Grade A one match ban. The reason he gets one match is because he has a previous record. 

“So, when people continually say to us, ‘How is that consistent?’, that’s because of the record of the player, not because of the consistency of the panel.”

Read More: Robert Hicks on player records and Match Review Panel consistency

Super League Barrie McDermott