Should the sentence have been even greater than that?
The Wigan Warriors prop will be banned for a minimum of eight games after
his vicious attack on St. Helens’ Lance Hohaia on Saturday, an attack which prompted the first ever red card in a Super League Grand Final and occurred only two minutes into the clash at Old Trafford.
Flower has been charged with a Grade F offence – the most serious in the sport – of "violent and aggressive punching" and "punching an off-guard opponent" after first flooring Hohaia with a vicious punch to the face and then striking him again while he lay prone on the ground. You may well have seen what Flower was guilty of already but if you haven’t you can do so below.
Be warned, it’s not for the faint-hearted...
The offence comes with a minimum eight-game ban and the exact length of his suspension will be determined when he appears before an independent disciplinary tribunal in Leeds tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.
Hohaia himself has been charged with a Grade B offence – which comes with a 1-2 match ban – having been accused of striking Flower with his forearm, while he has already stated that he harbours no ill-will towards Flower (who subsequently apologised) despite the severity of the attack.
