Championship teams set to lose important players
AT this stage, it remains unclear when professional rugby league will be able to resume after suspending all leagues amid the Covid-19 outbreak, but when the Betfred Championship gets back under way two of our local sides will be without key men.
Leigh halfback Jarrod Sammutt – an off-season recruit from Wigan Warriors – has been handed a four-match suspension for a spear tackle committed on his debut for the club against Halifax earlier this month.
The 33-year-old was handed a Grade D dangerous throw charge, which he pleaded guilty to during an RFL disciplinary tribunal.
In addition to the ban – which, as it stands, would rule him out of the Centurions’ clashes with Widnes, Whitehaven, London and Toulouse currently scheduled to take place in the weeks following the tentative resumption date of April 3 – Sammutt was also fined £250.
Oldham’s loss of young prop Jimmy
Beckett is likely to be more permanent, with coach Matt Diskin admitting he does not expect the 20-year-old to return from parent club Featherstone any time soon.
Beckett – who scored the winning try in the Promotion Final against Newcastle while on loan at the club last year – had joined on a season-long arrangement, but the customary recall clause kicked in after 28 days and Rovers felt the needed him for the Challenge Cup tie against Hunslet last weekend.
And if the sport does resume in the near future, Fev boss James Webster insists Beckett is in his plans, despite Roughyeds’ desire to keep him at Bower Fold.
“We’ve got Easter coming up and then Toulouse away – always assuming matches are being played again by then –so we can’t afford to have players out on loan,” said Webster.
“He’ll be staying with us.
“He’s done alright at Oldham and they were desperate to keep him.”