Wakefield lose Guler appeal as punching ban grows to three matches
Wakefield will have to chase a Grand Final without Emre Guler. Their appeal against the prop's punching ban has failed, and the punishment has grown.
The 28-year-old Turkey international was sent off in the second half of last Friday's play-off win over Leigh for punching Leigh forward Owen Trout. The Rugby Football League's disciplinary panel first handed him a two-match suspension and a fine, which ruled him out of Saturday's semi-final at Wigan and the Grand Final should Wakefield get there, according to BBC Sport.
Wakefield challenged that decision. An independent hearing on Tuesday evening rejected the appeal, as reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Instead of cutting the ban, the panel added five penalty points to Guler's record and extended the suspension to three matches. That third game takes the ban beyond the play-offs and into next season.
The offence was graded at Grade E for punching, one of the most serious categories in rugby league's disciplinary scale, Sky Sports reported. The league's official disciplinary list records the case as a charge under reference ON/2000/26, dated 18 September.
Guler plays prop, one of the front-row forwards who lead the heavy carrying and tackling through the middle. It is a position where fatigue bites fast, and coaches hate losing rotation. Wakefield will now be one big body short for the toughest away trip in the play-offs.
He only arrived in Super League in August. St George Illawarra Dragons, his former club in Australia's NRL, granted him an early release for the move. He has also agreed a three-year deal with Trinity from the 2027 season.
He is not the only player to be punished for throwing a punch at this stage of the season. Hull KR's Hiku was also banned for punching during the play-offs.
For fans, this means a reshaped Wakefield pack at the worst possible time. Wigan away in a semi-final is a brutal test of depth and nerve. In league, teams get six tackles to make ground before they hand the ball over, so losing a senior prop hurts field position and completion rates late in the game.
