CITED MARLER COULD MISS OZ TOUR

JOE MARLER’S availability for England’s tour of Australia was in the balance last night after the prop was cited for kicking an opponent in the head, while Owen Farrell also faces a disciplinary hearing. Marler has been charged over an incident in the 26th minute of Harlequins’ European Challenge Cup semifinal victory over Grenoble at The Stoop on Friday night. In his first appearance for the club following a two-week ban for calling Wales prop Samson Lee ‘gipsy boy’, the 25-year-old was involved in a scuffle with hooker Arnaud Heguy. The pair grappled on the floor and when Marler stood up, he held Heguy on the ground before appearing to strike him in the head with his right foot or shin. The minimum recommended suspension is four weeks, which would rule Marler out of Quins’ last two league games, the Challenge Cup final and England’s clash with Wales at Twickenham on May 29. However, as he struck his opponent in the head, it may be deemed more serious, in which case the mid-range sanction is an eight-week ban. That would rule him out of England’s three-Test series Down Under. Farrell has been cited for a dangerous tackle on Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson on Saturday. The recommended low-end sanction is two weeks but the ban could be halved if Farrell pleads guilty. SUPER LEAGUE club Salford have been docked six points by a Rugby League commission after being found guilty of breaching the £1.825 million salary cap in 2014-15. The Red Devils were also fined £5,000 for breaking operational rules and salary cap regulations concerning contractual arrangements made with three players. Red Devils owner Marwan Koukash will consider an appeal, saying: ‘This could only happen with a tribunal associated with the RFL.’