Decision made on potential Paul Vaughan appeal as Warrington welcome back key forward

Warrington have decided against appealing the one-match suspension handed to Paul Vaughan, having named a full 21-man squad for Thursday’s trip to St Helens. 

Vaughan, 31, copped a Grade B dangerous contact charge following the side’s 13-6 defeat to Wigan at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Head coach Daryl Powell admitted he was considering appealing the ban, with Joe Philbin and Gil Dudson also currently sidelined through respective suspensions.

Powell said on Vaughan during Monday’s pre-match press conference: “He’s obviously a middle unit player which we couldn’t really afford (to lose) but it is what it is.

“The game is fast and there are some tackles that are getting pulled up… The game is a difficult one at times and Vaughany has lost his legs a little bit. There is absolutely no malice at all.

“There is an inconsistency there but it is what it is, we’ll just have to cop it and move on.

“It’s a little bit of a hip drop tackle where he swings around on the tackle and it just catches Kai Pearce-Paul’s foot underneath him.

“I’m going to have a real good look at it later and decide what we do, but it’s a tough one to take because I don’t think there is any real intent there.

“Matty Lees, potentially, is lucky to get away with his to be honest watching that back but you’ve got three or four blokes who are making decisions and you just have to go with it.”

Powell names 21-man squad as Paul Vaughan accepts ban

An appeal had to be submitted by Tuesday lunchtime, but Powell has instead confirmed a 21-man squad to face world champions St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

The squad includes five wingers with Matty Russell, Matty Ashton, Josh Thewlis, Josh Lynch and Greg Minikin all named.

Utility forward James Harrison could make his return from injury. The forward has not featured since the side’s 36-20 win over Salford at the start of March.

Having made his debut off the bench against Wigan last Friday, academy captain Lucas Green is named once again.

Youngsters Luke Thomas and Tom Whitehead have also been included.

Warrington: Ashton, Clark, Currie, Drinkwater, Dufty, Green, Harrison, Hayes, Kasiano, Lynch, Mata’utia, McGuire, Minikin, Nicholson, Ratchford, Russell, Thewlis, Thomas, Walker, Whitehead, Williams.

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