Leeds Rhinos accept bans so Brad Dwyer and Alex Sutcliffe ruled out of Challenge Cup clash

Sutcliffe will miss Friday’s Coral Challenge Cup quarter-final against Hull KR and the Betfred Super League rematch six days later after being issued a two-match penalty notice for grade C dangerous contact in last Friday’s win over Huddersfield Giants.

Dwyer picked up a one-match ban for a grade B shoulder charge on Giants’ Aidan Sezar and Rhinos coach Richard Agar confirmed: “We are not going to appeal.

“We think it would be a futile mission, so we have to cop it on the chin.”

Agar will name his initial 21-man squad today.

He said there are no new injuries from last week, but Bodene Thompson is Cup-tied having played for Toronto Wolfpack in round five, six months ago.

Players stood down last week because of a coronavirus scare - including Matt Prior, Alex Mellor, Rhyse Martin and Tom Holroyd - are available.

Rovers will be without stand-off Jordan Abdull for Friday’s game after he received a two-match ban for ‘other contrary behaviour’ having grabbed the genitals of St Helens player James Bentley in Friday’s 21-20 Golden Point defeat.

Abdull - who pleaded guilty and was fined £500 - successfully challenged the grading of the offence from D down to grade C.

St Helens’ Tommy Makinson was banned for five matches for a low grab on Castleford Tigers’ Liam Watts last month.

Rovers coach Tony Smith reckons without that precedent, Abdull would not have been charged.

He described the incident as a “mistake” and said: “I think the league needs to put something out there now to say if you go between someone’s legs, you run the risk of going to the judiciary.

“It is topical at the moment because we’ve seen a couple of incidents, but I think Jordan’s a whole lot different.”

Warrington Wolves winger Tom Lineham was last night hit with an EIGHT game ban for grabbing Castleford’s Alex Foster in that area.

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