Catalans' Tom Johnstone reacts to Gil Dudson punch as Warrington prop banned

11 April 2023 , 19:45

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Warrington's Gil Dudson punches Catalans' Tom Johnstone (Image: Sky Sports)

Catalans star Tom Johnstone says Gil Dudson apologised for his “red mist” attack which saw the Warrington prop cop a five-game ban.

Fiery Dudson, 32, inexplicably punched Johnstone in the face while the England winger was tackled on the ground during Saturday’s Super League thriller in Perpignan.

He was handed the hefty suspension by an RFL independent tribunal after pleading guilty to the Grade E offence. Speaking before the hearing, Johnstone, 27, conceded: “It was a bit of a shock when it happened.

“I’d done absolutely nothing to him. But we had a chat outside the changing room afterwards. He was apologetic. He said how he thought I’d hit him and didn’t realise it was just an accidental clash when I was trying to get up. But you know what it’s like: it’s one of those red mist moments and there’s no issues from me. Just a split eye. People asked if I was annoyed but it was just one of those things. When you play top-end rugby, things can happen in the heat of the moment. I don’t hold any grudges.”

Dudson, making his first return to Catalans since leaving them last year, was red-carded in the 66th minute with the score locked at 14-14. Still, 12-man Warrington won the game with a late Josh Thewlis try to remain unbeaten as Super League leaders. But Wales international Dudson is now out of Friday’s huge table-topping clash against Wigan and won’t return until late May.

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Saturday was only his third game for the club after he missed the start of the season after breaking a hand during a pre-season friendly. Warrington are doing it tough with their props given Joe Philbin was also slapped with a two-game ban for a dangerous contact against Catalans, James Harrison and Joe Bullock are injured plus Thomas Mikaele returned to the NRL last week. And Australian forward Josh McGuire only made his Super League debut for Wolves in France after completing his own seven-match suspension.

Dudson’s brutal act reminded some fans of his ex-Wigan and Wales team-mate Ben Flower’s infamous attack on St Helens Lance Hohaia in the 2014 Grand Final. Flower was banned for six months after that but Johnstone, who’s scored nine tries in eight games since joining Catalans from Wakefield, insisted: “It was nothing like the Ben Flower incident. I wasn’t unconscious. It wasn’t a full-on swing. It’s not for me to comment on what he should get. But when we do something wrong and make a mistake we know we have to suffer consequences.”

Warrington Wolves prop Gil Dudson after win against Hull FC (Photo by Steve Flynn/News Images) (Steve Flynn/News Images)

Meanwhile, St Helens loose forward Morgan Knowles was also hit with a five game ban by tonight's tribunal for a dangerous contact on Wigan prop Mike Cooper. His England team-mate suffered a ruptured ACL from the 'hip-drop' challenge and won't play again this season. Cooper, 34, could be out for as long as 12 months. Lastly, an appeal by Leigh Leopards’ Ava Seumanufaga against a one-match suspension, imposed for late contact, was successful, the incident being downgraded from Grade B to A so he is free to play against Wakefield on Sunday.

David Craven