St Helens captain Jonny Lomax has been banned for three matches and fined £750 for a high tackle in Friday’s Super League game against Leigh Leopards.
Lomax had been referred to an operational rules tribunal by the Rugby Football League’s match review panel following his yellow card for a tackle on Gareth O’Brien in Saints’ 46-4 defeat.
The tribunal adjudged the panel’s designation of a Grade E head contact charge to be correct, however his three-game penalty could have stretched to as high as six games under the grade’s tariff recommendations.
As a result, Lomax will miss out-of-form Saints’ next three Super League fixtures, at Hull FC on Saturday, the visit of Salford on 8 August, and the Magic Weekend match at Elland Road against Wigan Warriors on 17 August.
The 33-year-old’s suspension means an already depleted Saints will head into a crucial stage of the season without the half-back.
Mark Percival also received a one-game ban following the defeat by Leigh, while Jake Wingfield, Alex Walmsley, Morgan Knowles, Joe Batchelor, Konrad Hurrell and Sione Mata’utia are all injured.
