Warriors forward Hock set to appeal five-match ban for manhandling ref

13 April 2012

Wigan Warriors second row forward Gareth Hock may appeal against a five-match ban which rules him out for the rest of the engage Super League regular season.

Hock’s season is effectively over unless Wigan qualify for the play-offs because they have only five league games left.

Gareth Hock: five-match ban

The ban, imposed yesterday by an RFL disciplinary panel who found the player guilty of manhandling referee Ian Smith in Wigan’s game against Huddersfield last weekend, also jeopardises Hock’s hopes of making the England squad for the World Cup Finals in Australia, starting in October.

But Hock, who was also fined £500, will be available for the play-offs and England’s World Cup warm-up against Wales at Doncaster on October 10.

Warrington have appointed James Lowes as their new head coach until the end of next season.

Lowes, 38, stepped up from No 2 to become caretaker coach when Paul Cullen was sacked in May, and was later given the job until the end of the current Super League season. Now he has another year but Warrington’s decision suggests they do not have total confidence in Lowes ability to be a success, although they have won six or their last seven games under him.

Leeds winger Ryan Hall (broken foot) and centre Clinton Toopi (damaged knee ligaments) are out for the rest of the season.

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