The red card should be the onfield ref's decision. Moot point here, as once the VR tells him it's a shoulder charge to the head, there's no decision to make.

I've only briefly seen a replay (just back from my holidays!) So this is a genuine question.... was it actually intended to be a shoulder charge? I thought it looked like a case of bad timing by Moon combined with Perceval falling forwards in the tackle. If so then it seemed a harsh (but not necessarily unwarranted) red card.



I think plenty of worse challenges escape punishment and suspect the injury was the key factor in the red (not something I generally agree with as intent should be the key factor)

It was an automatic red these days. A couple of years ago, pre ban, it would have probably been let go with Moon back slapped by his team mates for forcing the mistake. But when you look at the replay, it's a classic shoulder charge, there is a lazy attempt to get the hands up but the point of the shoulder impacts first and very cleanly with the cheek bone. For me it doesn't matter what the arms are doing, it's the point of contact that the problem. It was a challenge Moon should have stayed out of, there wasn't enough of Percival available for him to have any sort of meaningful shot on him as he was wrapped up well by other players. The head was the only real target. Moon isn't a dirty player, but hasn't he been sent off before? A nice 2 game rest before the play offs is probably in order.

I don't think Moon has actually 'charged' him though. He's stopped still and awaited the impact but admittedly with his arm/shoulder facing the Saints lad.....bit like Bailey on Mauire at Knowsley Road a few years back. As Percival's getting tackled his head is lower than it would've been.



That's why I'm still not sure about it, he doesn't run and charged into the lad, he let's the guy run at him and his arm.

You'll see similiar many times over the next few weeks an no one will bat an eyelid.



Yet silverwood has taken it upon himself to go to the screen, and then have him sent off. Why don't they simply go to the screen everytime instead of putting someone on report like the always do?

I only saw the last 30mins so missed the incident but could I speculate that the only difference is that there was a resulting injury...(

Felt a bit sorry for Leeds fan Mr Silverwood when he had to send one of his pals off



VR and Sky to blame for me

I think the tackle was poor technique rather than a deliberate shoulder to head charge. My main complaint was silverwood allowing saints to persistently infringe at the play the ball. Thus preventing a quick play the ball.

Silverwood should have red-carded himself!

The first 20 mins of saints messing about at the play the ball was the worst , two other key moments were when the saints player clearly passed the ball when tackle completed and the worst one when Leeds on top and Briscoe giving penalty away

I agree it's technically a penalty when they throw the pass after grounding it like that, but when a player is having his ass hauled out over the sideline, when have you ever seen them use that rule?

This was the issue that frustrated me too. It really is a bluddy lottery sometimes as to how an official is going to 'police' the rules.