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Joe Marler banned for 'wholly inappropriate' comment
By PA
Joe Marler has been banned for two weeks with a further four weeks suspended for comments made towards Bristol flanker Jake Heenan.
Harlequins and England prop Marler, who accepted a charge of conduct prejudicial to the game, made the remarks during the first half of Tuesday’s Gallagher Premiership match that reportedly related to Heenan’s mother.
The extra four-week suspension will be activated should the 32-year-old commit a similar offence before the end of the 2023-24 season, while he must also give a presentation to a local club or school, and to a Premiership academy, on the core values of the game.
Gareth Graham, who chaired the disciplinary panel, said: “The insulting and offensive comments made by the player were wholly inappropriate; such comments should form no part of the modern game.”
It is Marler’s latest brush with the rugby authorities. In 2016, he received a two-week suspension and was fined £20,000 for calling Wales prop Samson Lee “gypsy boy”, and two years ago he received a 10-week ban for grabbing Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones’ genitals during a Six Nations game.
The disciplinary panel took Marler’s chequered history into account but also noted that he had apologised to Heenan.
Speaking ahead of the hearing, Quins head coach Tabai Matson said: “Clearly, he (Marler) is really apologetic.
“He didn’t know the full context of what he said. What he said was wrong. He reached out to Jake and Jake replied and accepted his apology and then they had a good chat after that.
“He has been apologetic to us as well. He is annoyed that he has dragged the club into this kerfuffle.”
Marler’s ban means he will miss Premiership matches against Northampton and Sale.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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