SAINTS coach Paul Wellens has been fined £2,000, with £1,000 suspended until the end of the 2024 season, for breaching the game’s Operational Rules.

The punishment is for bringing the game into disrepute for comments made after Saints' semi final defeat by Leigh.

It was a game in which lost Agnatius Paasi (nine months) and Alex Walmsley (several weeks) with serious injury following tackles made by John Asiata.

Last week the RFL board approved a Reckless Endangerment rule change to make the game safer following last season's increase in the number of tackles that have caused serious lower limb injuries.

Today, Wellens was belatedly punished for the statement he made in the aftermath in which he accused the governing body of failing to protect its players.

Those tackles, which from next season will be illegal, were deemed to be within the laws of the game last summer and as a result no punishment was meted out.

That was "considered to be detrimental both to the game and the RFL’s Compliance function, and ultimately to have brought the game into disrepute."

Today Wellens said:  “I accept the punishment and am pretty keen now to draw a line under it and move forward.

“At least off the back of it there have been positive changes to the laws of the game to make it safer than it was previously.”

A statement from the RFL reads: "Comments made by Wellens in a BBC radio interview following the Betfred Challenge Cup Semi-final against Leigh Leopards were found to have breached rules D1.1 (b), C2:6, C2.10 and C2:13, which relate to the conduct and standards of behaviour of persons bound by the game’s Operational Rules.

"Criticisms of both the Match Review Panel and the RFL, and language used in relation to tackles to the head, were considered to be detrimental both to the game and the RFL’s Compliance function, and ultimately to have brought the game into disrepute."