Jon WIlkin echoes St Helens head coach Paul Wellens' concerns over player welfare

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Jon Wilkin reflected on St Helens head coach Paul Wellens’ criticisms of the RFL after Leigh Leopards’ John Asiata faced no action following last weekend’s Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final in which four Saints players were injured…

There are two things to say: One is for those people who do not know, I formerly played for St Helens, so there will be an assumption my opinion on the matter is based on my allegiance to that club.

I can tell you my opinion on this has nothing to do with that, and Leigh were the better team and deserved to win the game.

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These incidents should not overshadow what was a great performance from Leigh, but it is certainly a talking point.

The second point is John Asiata is an incredible player, a tough player, has been one of the best players in Super League this year, and I have thought long and hard about whether I should come out and say anything about this because I'll just open myself to a barrage of abuse.

But it is reckless, it is dangerous, it is career-ending and, in my opinion, it is not malicious at all - but the technique John Asiata used has no place in the game.

We are obsessed with tackle height in rugby, but there are things to consider here because John Asiata has opened himself up to a concussive injury tackling like that.

The only time I got concussed as a player was when I tackled too low, so we need to get this narrative around tackle height out of the game because that is not the issue.

What John Asiata has done is recklessly, and committedly, gone in at the lower limbs of players with the intent of felling them.

Now, if he had done the same technique and other people were involved, he would have been sent off because it would have been classed as a cannonball tackle.

This is not an attack on John Asiata or Leigh, but if you are true about protecting the welfare of players, at least show him that tackle or that form of contact with lower limbs is not allowed in the game.

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Even then if he does not get a ban because the Laws of Rugby League do not govern for it, so be it but at least it sets a precedent.

Because what if next week he does three or five? What if, by accident, he does another one or two before the end of the year? Then what is going to happen? Well, the Laws are going to have to catch up.

It is desperately sad this has become about bitterness of St Helens losing in the Cup. It is not, it is about the welfare of players and we are obsessed with head contacts in the game, but there are other forms of dangerous contact.

For me, this was incredibly dangerous contact with several players, and I think it is a weak decision from the RFL as outlined by Paul Wellens. Other people may disagree, but that is firmly what I believe.

Sky Sports News has contacted Leigh for comment.