Ex-Wigan Warriors youngster feels wrath of new disciplinary system with mammoth points received

Wigan Warriors academy product Dec O’Donnell has received a whopping 33 points on his disciplinary record, and will miss Rochdale Hornets’ next five games as a result.

Four-time Ireland international O’Donnell, now 26, was hit with a Grade E charge for making unnecessary contact with an injured played in an 1895 Cup fixture against Cornwall at the start of this month.

Footage showed the hooker moving Bradley Llewellyn out of the way on the floor to collect the ball, with the Cornwall man requiring treatment.

O’Donnell, who has donned a shirt for Leigh, Workington Town and Oldham at senior club level previously – accepted the charge.

Pleading guilty at an independent Operational Rules Tribunal, he was supported by Rochdale head coach Gary Thornton.

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Ex-Wigan Warriors youngster feels wrath of new disciplinary system with mammoth points received

With his guilty plea and other submissions taken into consideration, the outcome was an eye-watering tally of 33 points added to his disciplinary record, as per the below…

• Grade A – 1 point
• Grade B – 3 points
• Grade C – 5 points
• Grade D – 12 points
• Grade E – Refer to Tribunal

The new disciplinary system will see those points remain on his record for 12 months from the date of the offence – until February 2, 2026.

And in the present, the 33 points are enough to earn him a five-match suspension and a fine, which is £75.

• 0-2 points: No further action
• 3-5 points: Fine
• 6-8 points: 1 match suspension
• 9-11 points: 1 match suspension and a fine
• 12-14 points: 2 match suspension
• 15-17 points: 2 match suspension and a fine
• 18-20 points: 3 match suspension
• 21-23 points: 3 match suspension and a fine
• 24-26 points: 4 match suspension
• 27-29 points: 4 match suspension and a fine
• 30-32 points: 5 match suspension
• 33-35 points: 5 match suspension and a fine
• 36-38 points: 6 match suspension and a fine
• 39-41 points: 7 match suspension and a fine
• 42-44 points: 8 match suspension and a fine
• 45-47 points: 9 match suspension and a fine
• 48-50 points: 10 match suspension and a fine
• 51-53 points: 11 match suspension and a fine
• 54+ points: 12 match suspension plus and a fine

O’Donnell – who only joined Rochdale ahead of the 2025 campaign – will now miss matches against Swinton Lions, Keighley Cougars, Cornwall, Whitehaven and Workington.

The clash with Swinton, which comes this weekend at the Crown Oil Arena, is in the Second Preliminary Round of the 1895 Cup, with the remaining four fixtures all coming in League 1.

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