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Howell sore over charge for 'soft' hit
Sam Worthington
Canberra centre David Howell has accused the NRL of protecting rugby league's glamour players after the Raider was charged for striking Melbourne superstar Greg Inglis yesterday. Howell, 23, will miss the Raiders' Monday night match against the Newcastle Knights after officials hit him with the grade-one charge.
The NRL's match review committee cited Howell for striking Inglis in the 75th minute during the Raiders' 32-16 loss to the Storm on Saturday.
The Raiders will officially decide today whether to contest the charge but Howell was resigned to missing Monday's match.
"I don't think I touched him with anything, it was a pretty soft incident," Howell said. "Obviously my elbow was raised so [the judiciary] has got to go off that but I don't think there was much in it."
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy complained after the match that teams were targeting Inglis unfairly in his new position as a five-eighth.
"I'm pretty sure he copped a forearm late there," Bellamy said.
"He's not a guy to go down and stay down - he's a tough kid. We need a bit of protection for him."
But Howell disagreed with Bellamy's assessment of the incident, saying that Inglis had milked the contact to gain protection from referees.
"I don't think there was very big contact or anything, there wasn't a bleeding nose or anything so it's all part of footy really," he said.
"That would have helped his cause I think [staying down] with the headlines in the papers about teams going out to target playmakers like Inglis."
Howell suggested Bellamy's comments had attracted the match review committee's attention after referee Jared Maxwell ignored the incident on the night.
"I think that's always going to happen in any sport," he said. "If the big name gets injured or something happens to him, yeah, there's always going to be bigger headlines or more concern about him.
"If it happened to [Raiders players] Michael Dobson or Todd Carney, probably nothing would have happened, so it's pretty disappointing in that respect."
Howell, who recovered from a thigh injury to secure the starting centre position in round one, said the impending suspension was hugely frustrating.
"It was my second game back and I was just starting to get some confidence out there and then to have this, it sort of puts you behind the eight-ball again," he said.
Raiders coach Neil Henry has ready-made replacements when he names the team today.
Utility Marshall Chalk will likely be promoted from the bench into Howell's vacant centre berth with fullback William Zillman remaining in the No1 jersey. Andrew Dunemann is likely to be named on an extended interchange bench.
Scans cleared second-rower Ben Jones of damage in his neck yesterday and is likely to be named today.
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/de... league&story_id=569619&category=rugby league
Personally i am glad he is out after that performance the guy had brain snap's all night
Sam Worthington
Canberra centre David Howell has accused the NRL of protecting rugby league's glamour players after the Raider was charged for striking Melbourne superstar Greg Inglis yesterday. Howell, 23, will miss the Raiders' Monday night match against the Newcastle Knights after officials hit him with the grade-one charge.
The NRL's match review committee cited Howell for striking Inglis in the 75th minute during the Raiders' 32-16 loss to the Storm on Saturday.
The Raiders will officially decide today whether to contest the charge but Howell was resigned to missing Monday's match.
"I don't think I touched him with anything, it was a pretty soft incident," Howell said. "Obviously my elbow was raised so [the judiciary] has got to go off that but I don't think there was much in it."
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy complained after the match that teams were targeting Inglis unfairly in his new position as a five-eighth.
"I'm pretty sure he copped a forearm late there," Bellamy said.
"He's not a guy to go down and stay down - he's a tough kid. We need a bit of protection for him."
But Howell disagreed with Bellamy's assessment of the incident, saying that Inglis had milked the contact to gain protection from referees.
"I don't think there was very big contact or anything, there wasn't a bleeding nose or anything so it's all part of footy really," he said.
"That would have helped his cause I think [staying down] with the headlines in the papers about teams going out to target playmakers like Inglis."
Howell suggested Bellamy's comments had attracted the match review committee's attention after referee Jared Maxwell ignored the incident on the night.
"I think that's always going to happen in any sport," he said. "If the big name gets injured or something happens to him, yeah, there's always going to be bigger headlines or more concern about him.
"If it happened to [Raiders players] Michael Dobson or Todd Carney, probably nothing would have happened, so it's pretty disappointing in that respect."
Howell, who recovered from a thigh injury to secure the starting centre position in round one, said the impending suspension was hugely frustrating.
"It was my second game back and I was just starting to get some confidence out there and then to have this, it sort of puts you behind the eight-ball again," he said.
Raiders coach Neil Henry has ready-made replacements when he names the team today.
Utility Marshall Chalk will likely be promoted from the bench into Howell's vacant centre berth with fullback William Zillman remaining in the No1 jersey. Andrew Dunemann is likely to be named on an extended interchange bench.
Scans cleared second-rower Ben Jones of damage in his neck yesterday and is likely to be named today.
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/de... league&story_id=569619&category=rugby league
Personally i am glad he is out after that performance the guy had brain snap's all night
