Five Super League players suspended including St Helens duo as major Jai Whitbread call made

St Helens will be without Matty Lees and Moses Mbye for their huge Super League clash against Castleford this weekend after both were handed suspensions by the Rugby Football League’s Match Review Panel.

The pair are among five Super League players who have been handed bans following Round 25 – but Lees has not been suspended for the tackle on Josh Drinkwater which saw him receive a controversial yellow card during the Saints‘ defeat to Warrington on Saturday.

The incident involving Drinkwater has been cleared of any further action after it was deemed the contact on the half-back was ‘minimal’. It was a moment which caused plenty of debate, with Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin saying Drinkwater should ‘hang his head’ after accusing him of ‘milking’ the contact.

Instead, Lees has been charged with Grade B Contact with the Match Official, leading to him receiving a one-match ban. Mbye has been charged with Grade B Dangerous Contact, which has also earned him a one-match suspension.

However, the other controversial yellow card from that game has led to a charge. Warrington’s Lachlan Fitzgibbon will miss their trip to Huddersfield on Saturday after a Grade C Head Contact charge, following the tackle on Tee Ritson that earned the forward a sin-binning.

Hull KR will also be without Jai Whitbread for their vital trip to Leigh Leopards on Friday, after he was given a one-match ban following a charge of Grade C Head Contact after his tackle on Tyler Dupree that earned Whitbread a yellow card.

Hull FC forward Jed Cartwright is the final player to be suspended this week. He will miss their game against Salford Red Devils on Saturday, after a charge of Grade C Dangerous Contact earned him a one-match suspension.

Warrington’s Sam Powell, Castleford’s Jenson Windley and London’s Will Lovell were also charged – but they received £250 fines instead of a suspension.

All clubs and players have until 12pm on Tuesday to decide whether or not they wish to appeal the bans handed out.

The full list of players charged following Round 25 is:

• Lachlan Fitzgibbon (Warrington Wolves) – Grade C Head Contact: 1 match ban
• Sam Powell (Warrington Wolves) – Grade B Head Contact: £250 fine
• Matty Lees (St Helens) – Contact with the Match Official: 1 match ban
• Moses Mbye (St Helens) – Grade B Dangerous Contact: 1 match ban
• Jai Whitbread (Hull KR) – Grade C Head Contact: 1 match ban
• Jenson Windley (Castleford Tigers) – Grade B Dangerous Contact: £250 fine
• Jed Cartwright (Hull FC) – Grade C Dangerous Contact: 1 match ban
• Will Lovell (London Broncos) – Grade B Dangerous Contact: £250 fine

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