St Helens missing key man for Hull KR clash after ban appeal rejected

Grade C high tackle: two-match penalty notice.Grade C high tackle: two-match penalty notice.
Grade C high tackle: two-match penalty notice.
Saints appealed twice against Matty Lees’ suspension but their case was rejected on both occasions.

St Helens have failed in their bid to overturn a two-match ban handed to prop forward Matty Lees following their 32-18 win over Huddersfield Giants at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Sunday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It means the 25-year-old England international will miss Friday’s home fixture against beaten Challenge Cup finalists, Hull KR, and next week’s trip to Castleford.

Saints appealed twice in successive nights against the suspension, originally imposed for an alleged high tackle, but their case was rejected on both occasions.

The defending champions said in a statement that they believed the Operational Rules Tribunal made an error of law in its decision or failed to act fairly in a procedural sense.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The statement added: "We stand by our decision to appeal but accept that the process is now over and we look forward to our upcoming match against Hull KR at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday night."

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.