English Rugby League captain Kevin Sinfield will receive a length and well deserves ban after viciously headbutting a helpless and defenseless Castleford Tigers player Luke Dorn in a 24 all draw in between the two clubs.
Here is footage of the incident:
Seriously, he could have been killed!
In an era of the game when we are trying to stamp out concussion Sinfield act is basically a war against human decency.
Leeds fullback Zak Hardaker tried to defend him after the match.
“Obviously, I know all about losing my cool and heat of the moment stuff.”
“But modern professional as he is, it’s a tight game and rugby league is a tough sport which is demanding on yourself.”
“It’s one of those moments. He’s gutted, he’s real upset about himself and what he’s done and really feels like he’s let the team down.”
While this may be the first sendoff of Sinfields career it should not stop the RFL coming down hard on this violent act.
“Seriously he could have been killed”. Sarcasm is sometimes difficult to detect in text but I really hope that was just that.
When the person on the receiving end of a headbutt remains standing, unbloodied, wide eyed and does not put his hand to the injured area immediately after then the intensity of said headbutt is easily measured. And this was a rush of blood and barely more than a bump. He was sent off, will no doubt be banned all of which have precedents in the game. What further prosecution would you like to see happen?
Life ban.
There is an episode of the Twilight Zone called “Steel”. it was re written as “Real Steel” and turned into a movie starring Huge Jackman in 2011. The original portrays robot sportsmen. Automatons performing for the pleasure of a paying crowd and a real human that has to take the place of a robot to provide a match. Best keep such things as the work of science fiction rather than not understand the difference between real people and robots. That headbutt was hardly a tickle and not remotely troubling to adults who understand the game and completely understandable in top flight competitive contact sport. Dorn wasn’t even hurt.