SAINTS’ back rower Mark Flanagan has received the devastating news that his season is over.
He requires a knee reconstruction operation as a result of a serious ACL injury received in the second minute of the Super League game against Hull KR at Craven Park two weeks ago.
It is another bitter injury blow for the Saints at a time when their injury list is already running at an all-time high.
Saints’ boss Nathan Brown expressed extreme frustration and anger with the situation:
“It’s a devastating personal blow for the player and adds further strain to our already seriously depleted squad. We were more than surprised that the offending “tackle” was not the subject of serious disciplinary review. It appeared to be caused by the third player in the tackle in a classic ‘cannonball tackle’.
“Anthony Laffranchi also received one shortly after in the same game and again no disciplinary action was taken.
“Mark missed the subsequent Challenge Cup Game against Hull KR. He is a great young player whose season is over and yet no action was or has been taken.
“It just adds to the growing frustration as to the lack of consistency so often experienced with disciplinary proceedings and which has major consequential effects on players’ careers and club’s seasons.
“As a club we will, of course, always accept any punishment our players are given; and all we ask is for the same clarity and consistency for all players and all clubs.”
He continued: “There would seem to be no consistency of referral, interpretation or decision in the RFL disciplinary and coaches and players are finding it extremely frustrating as this should be a relatively straightforward process but, for whatever reasons, it doesn’t seem to be.”
Saints have accepted Early Guilty Pleas for Jon Wilkin and Ade Gardner. They will miss the next two and one matches respectively.
