St Helens boss, Nathan Brown has hit out at a 'cannon ball tackle' which has ended the season of second rower, Mark Flanagan.

Flanagan was subject to the tackle early on in Saints' Challenge Cup defeat at Hull KR and will require a knee reconstruction operation.

"It’s a devastating personal blow for the player and adds further strain to our already seriously depleted squad," Brown said.

"We were more than surprised that the offending “tackle” was not the subject of serious disciplinary review.

"It appeared to be caused by the third player in the tackle in a classic ‘cannonball tackle’.

"Anthony Laffranchi also received one shortly after in the same game and again no disciplinary action was taken.

“Mark missed the subsequent Challenge Cup Game against Hull KR. He is a great young player whose season is over and yet no action was or has been taken.

“It just adds to the growing frustration as to the lack of consistency so often experienced with disciplinary proceedings and which has major consequential effects on players’ careers and club’s seasons.

“As a club we will, of course, always accept any punishment our players are given; and all we ask is for the same clarity and consistency for all players and all clubs.

“There would seem to be no consistency of referral, interpretation or decision in the RFL disciplinary and coaches and players are finding it extremely frustrating as this should be a relatively straightforward process but, for whatever reasons, it doesn’t seem to be.”