St Helens forward Morgan Knowles free to face Leeds Rhinos in Grand Final after ban U-turn

St Helens forward Morgan Knowles is free to play in Saturday’s Betfred Super League Grand Final against Leeds after his two-match ban was lifted following a successful second appeal.

The England international was sin-binned for appearing to twist the arm of stand-off Brodie Croft during Saints’ 19-12 semi-final win over Salford on Saturday and subsequently charged by the Rugby Football League’s match review panel with a Grade B offence.

An independent tribunal rejected Knowles’ initial appeal against the ban on Tuesday evening but Saints launched a second challenge, claiming the tribunal’s conclusion was “unreasonable” based on the evidence presented, and they won their case.

A statement from the RFL said: “A tribunal on Wednesday evening accepted that, while there was some twisting to apply pressure to the limb of an opposing player, this did not exceed the normal range of movement and therefore could not have posed an ‘unacceptable risk of injury’.”

The RFL says the full minutes of the hearing will be posted on its website on Thursday morning.

The outcome is a big boost for the reigning champions as they seek an unprecedented fourth successive Grand Final victory and will also be welcomed by England coach Shaun Wane, who looks certain to include the former Welsh international in his 24-man squad for the World Cup.