The Leopards’ skipper copped a Grade C ‘Dangerous Contact’ charge in Leigh’s 32-12 win over London Broncos on Sunday, being one of three players to be banned.
Hull KR forward James Batchelor was also handed a one-match ban whilst St Helens’ Tommy Makinson was handed a three-game ban. Both Saints and Leigh appealed their bans in an attempt to free up their star players for crucial matches.
Makinson had been slated to miss all but one of the remaining games whilst Asiata’s one-match ban meant he would miss Friday night’s game against Warrington Wolves.
The club’s captain has been instrumental in them turning their season around and winning seven of their last eight games to surge within a point of the playoffs and the club have now had their appeal heard.
The Operational Rules Tribunal have ruled against Leigh Leopards with the ban being upheld meaning that Asiata will miss Friday’s match.
A statement on the RFL website read: “The Tribunal rejected a challenge from John Asiata of Leigh Leopards against the grading of a Grade C Dangerous Contact charge from Sunday’s victory against London Broncos. Asiata is therefore to serve a one-match suspension and the club loses the £500 bond.”
The Grade C charge against Asiata marked the third time that the Leigh Leopards’ skipper had been charged this season, however, neither of the previous incidents warranted a ban.
The Hull-bound forward was the subject of controversy regarding his tackling technique after last year’s Challenge Cup semi-final in which he was argued to have injured multiple St Helens players prompting fury from Paul Wellens
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