Perkins out after being cited

WORTHING Raiders Rugby Club were dealt another blow last week when Liam Perkins was cited for stamping in their home win over Fylde last month.
Liam PerkinsLiam Perkins
Liam Perkins

Perkins was withdrawn by Raiders for their match at Esher on Saturday and joins the club’s ever-growing unavailability list.

Raiders were without Charlie McGowan (back/knee) and Ben Dudley (groin) on Saturday, along with long-term injury victims Matt Farnes and Matt McLean.

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Kiba Richards was with the England Counties squad and James Chisholm, on loan from Harlequins, was with the England under-20 team, while Alex Nielsen, who was at the Esher game watching, is still unavailable.

Finlay Coxon-Smith and Scott Barlow also both picked up injuries in the Esher defeat, while Kieran Leeming is playing with a shoulder injury.

On Perkins’, Raiders team manager David Hinchliffe said: “He pleaded guilty on the basis that, technically, he did stamp.

“A Fylde guy was on the ground and grabbed Liam by the ankle. Liam went to free himself and caught their guy. He didn’t know he had caught him until their player stayed down, when he went across and apologised.

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“We held an internal hearing and he was withdrawn from the squad on Saturday and it will now go to a RFU panel hearing, hopefully, this week.”

Raiders head coach Kieron Dawson said: “We’ve got such a small squad and we can’t afford to have these players out.

“We’ve put in a few calls, everyone else around us seems to be bringing in players but we’ve had no support from any Premiership club. Blackheath have got London Welsh players and London Scottish players and Tynedale have got some players in from Newcastle Falcons.

“We’ve got no one backing our corner and it’s tough.”