The Hull FC young gun landed a big ban last week.
Hull FC outside back Roman Dawson.
Andy Last has shared some context behind Hull FC outside back Roman Dawson’s recent suspension.
The 20-year-old has landed a five-game ban after receiving a Grade F charge for punching, with the player retaliating to some alleged distasteful words from a Leigh Leopards player surrounding a member of Dawson’s family.
The incident happened in a reserve game on May 23, with Last even conceding that he would have reacted the same if he were put in a similar situation.
Speaking to Hull Live, Last said: “It’s hard. I know if someone said something about my mum, I’d have got up and probably done exactly the same.
“I don’t condone it, but that’s what happens in the game. There’s a lot of sledging and head rubbing and all that sort of nonsense which is going on.
“You’ve just got to try and be disciplined and maintain a cool head because that moment of frustration and aggression has cost Roman the opportunity of playing and he needs to be playing.”
Dawson has recovered from back-to-back ACL injuries to line up for the reserves this year. He has appeared several times in the second-string side, scoring over 10 tries, and is out of contract at the end of the season – expressing to Hull Live a desire to extend his stay at Hull and earn a new deal.
“It’s a tough one for Roman,” Last continued. “He scored a really good try in that game. He’s probably not got going this year; it’s been a little bit stop-start for him with injury and form and the lack of game time.
“The reserves format is one week on, one week off, then you might have three weeks off and then two weeks on. It’s not been great for some of those young guys in terms of trying to get in the flow of things.
“But he certainly didn’t miss with the three or four punches that he threw. He felt justified in his reason for punching, but you throw a punch and you’re going to have to suffer the consequences and I think the fact that he got five games, he hadn’t done too badly really because, like I say, it was quite blatant; he let three or four haymakers go.
“It wasn’t a good look and it wasn’t great for Roman. Obviously, he was disappointed and apologetic, but you have to suffer the consequences and five games is what Roman is going to have to suffer.”
Hull could look to get Dawson out on loan to get some game time after the conclusion of his ban. Read what Last had to say about loan moves here.