Tuesday 28 July 2015 21:23, UK
Warrington head coach Tony Smith has hit out at Castleford counterpart Daryl Powell after second-row Ben Westwood was ruled out of Wolves’ Challenge Cup semi-final due to suspension.
Smith has accused Powell of influencing the RFL disciplinary panel after they decided to hand Westwood a two-match ban for a shoulder charge on Luke Gale during Warrington’s 44-6 Super League win over the Tigers on Sunday.
Westwood was not punished by referee Phil Bentham on the pitch for the tackle on Gale, who spent a night in hospital as a result of the head injury.
England international Westwood was subsequently charged with a grade B offence, though, following highly critical post-match comments by Powell, a factor Smith feels directly resulted in a charge being brought against his player.
"I'm really, really, really disappointed about it," Smith said at a press conference ahead of their semi-final.
"He was hung out to dry and it was incorrect. We feel that Benny's chest was the thing that came into contact with Luke Gale's face. Matty Russell had his teeth knocked out last year because he was dipping in the tackle.
"If you actually look at the tackle, the kid has gone from almost standing upright to dipping down. Benny was committed and the referee was in a great position to see that.
It's the inconsistencies of the review panel that really gets up everybody's noses but also the fact that coaches go and whinge about it before the review panel sits.
"Daryl then goes off on one after the game and basically hangs our player out to dry before he's a chance to defend himself. I don't think it would have even been called up.
"There was an outrageous shoulder charge later in the game where (Castleford centre) Jake Webster goes in on Gaz O'Brien and nothing is said.
"It's the inconsistencies of the review panel that really gets up everybody's noses but also the fact that coaches go and whinge about it before the review panel sits.
"The right thing would have been to say 'I haven't had a chance to look at in depth but I didn't like the look of it'.
"But that often happens after Cas get beaten."
The loss of Westwood comes as a double blow for Smith, after fullback Matty Smith suffered a second major ankle injury in four months that looks set to miss the remainder of the season.
