The Rovers man was dismissed for a punch on Saturday night
Peta Hiku of Hull KR hit George Williams of Warrington Wolves in the face(Image: News Images/NurPhoto via Getty)
Peta Hiku is at risk of missing the start of the 2027 Super League season following his red card on Saturday night at Warrington Wolves.
The Hull KR man was dismissed at the start of the second half for a punch on Warrington Wolves half-back George Williams.
It was a soft shot, with the New Zealand international flicking out of a fist as he turned away from Williams after a small melee. However, his closed hand caught the Warrington man squarely in the mouth and referee Aaron Moore ultimately ended up dismissing the Rovers man at a pivotal point in the game.
Hiku jogged off the field and down the tunnel without much of a protest and Warrington went on to score shortly after through Matty Ashton, who bagged a hat-trick on the night.
Any futher punishment won’t be too much of a concern for Hiku right now given KR’s season has come to an end, it would be kicked forward to next season.
Hiku will be with Hull KR next season after penning a contract extension and he’ll be looking forward to helping new head coach Nathan Cayless settle in on the east side of Hull.
However, depending on how the Match Review Panel see his actions today, he may well find himself ruled out for the start of the next Super League campaign.
Hiku already has disciplinary points to his name and he was hit with a one-match ban in July for a late hit charge. As such a Grade E punching charge today would likely come with a three-game ban.
Both Jackson Hastings and London Broncos’ Will Jones have been handed Grade E charges for punching in recent times.
However, given the nature of the incident, the Match Review Panel might look a little more leniently on Hiku, with a Grade D or potentially even less a possibility.
A two-game ban might allow Hiku to make the season opener, but that would depend on how many pre-season games KR line up for next year. In previous years they have gone with one fixture, but RFL guidelines suggest up to two games are eligible to count towards a suspension.