Catalans forward handed ban

Catalans forward Dallas Johnson will miss his side’s Carnegie Challenge Cup fourth round tie at home to Salford on Saturday after being suspended for one match by the RFL Disciplinary Committee.

The loose forward was also fined £300 after being found guilty of a dangerous throw on Bradford Bulls prop Nick Scruton in the French club’s home Engage Super League Round 11 defeat last Saturday.

Johnson pleaded guilty to the offence and was suspended after the Disciplinary Committee took into consideration his record in the NRL, where he had been banned for three similar offences, most recently in 2005.

Leeds Rhinos winger Lee Smith is free to play in his side’s Carnegie Challenge Cup tie at Hull FC on Saturday despite being found guilty of one of two charges levelled against him in last week’s Engage Super League fixture at home to Hull FC.

Smith was cleared of using raised knees in a tackle that left Hull FC hooker Shaun Berrigan with a broken collarbone in the 11th minute but guilty of the same offence just moments earlier that left Hull stand-off Jordan Turner in distress.

The Disciplinary Committee expressed its concern at Smith’s technique, which they felt had the potential to cause serious injury, and issued the player with a formal warning.