In the first of the derbies on Good Friday, Hull FC hosted Hull KR and with the score 4-0 to the visitors, the game’s major moment happened.
Cade Cust chased down a kick and made shoulder contact to the head of the Robins’ full-back Arthur Mourgue, an action which referee Liam Moore deemed worthy of a red card as due to the high force and lack of mitigation.
Cust, and the majority of the MKM Stadium, were shocked but former Black and Whites man Leon Pryce was not surprised at all. Working for Sky Sports, he gave his verdict at half-time whilst his live reaction was also shown.
“It’s game over isn’t it? There’s no arguments if he gets sent,” was Pryce’s initial reaction, and he expanded upon that at half-time.
“No argument” – Leon Pryce gives verdict on Hull FC red card
Asked for his verdict, he said: “It’s just one of those plays where the atmosphere and the occasion just gets too much of him.
“He’s aggressive and we all know that’s a red card. You can’t argue against it. It’s dangerous. There’s contact to the head, we know the rules of the game in this day and age.”
Barrie McDermott, a man who wasn’t a stranger to a red card, added: “It’s a a red card in any era but in his defence, I think it’s a reactionary hit. I think he’s watching the ball, he’s trying to judge the bounce and at the point the ball hits the player, that’s where the contact and collision is.”
Host Brian Carney noted: “Yeah, he does appear to brace himself though, just as he’s about to make contact with Arthur Mourgue. Of course, all responsibility is on the tacklers nowadays.”
To that, Pryce reaffirmed: “Yeah, listen, there’s no argument, sometimes you look at red cards nowadays and you think that’s never a red card but I don’t, we can’t argue against that.”
Hull KR went in at the half 16-4 down with their man advantage starting to show.
