Four charged with punching offences after Toronto bust-up

Four players have been charged with punching offences during Toronto Wolfpack’s stormy home game against Oxford.

Referee Brandon Robinson sent off three players and showed three yellow cards during the Canadian club’s 62-12 Kingstone Press League One victory over Oxford at the Lamport Stadium in Toronto last Saturday.

Prop Jake Emmitt, who was initially sent to the sinbin for a technical offence, was given a red card after staying on to throw a series of punches and has been charged by the Rugby Football League with a grade-c offence, which carries a twoto-three-match suspension.

Stand-off Blake Wallace, who was also sent off, and winger Liam Kay, who was sent to the sin-bin, were charged with grade-b offences, along with Oxford captain Callum Windley, who was the third player shown a red card.

Toronto hooker Sean Penkywicz, whose late sending to the sin-bin meant the Wolfpack ended the game with just 10 men, has been charged with a minor gradea offence of butting.

The charges were brought by the Rugby Football League’s match-review panel and, unless they submit early guilty pleas, the players will face a hearing in Leeds on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Catalans Dragons have received permission to register former Carpentras centre Arthur Romano for tonight’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup sixthround tie at holders Hull.

Romano, who has been playing for Catalans reserves after joining the club in 2015, could get his chance after 11 players were ruled out through injury. Dragons coach Laurent Frayssinous left open a place in his squad after losing six more players to injury during the defeat by Leeds last Saturday.