Thursday 16 October 2014 07:25, UK
Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan has dismissed calls for forward Ben Flower to be sacked following his Grand Final attack on St Helens' Lance Hohaia.
Flower has been banned for six months by the RFL for twice punching Hohaia just two minutes into Saturday's Super League showpiece at Old Trafford.
Some critics have suggested Wigan should dismiss the 25-year-old, but Lenagan has assured the prop he has a future at the DW Stadium.
This is not drug-taking, it is in a super-charged, emotional environment behaving irresponsibly. That is no reason to sack a player.
Lenagan told Sky Sports News HQ: "Ben Flower made a mistake, and I say very clearly, 'Let any one of us who has not made a mistake stand forward'. I have made mistakes, players make mistakes.
"This is not drug-taking, it is in a super-charged, emotional environment behaving irresponsibly. That is no reason to sack a player.
"That is a reason to discipline him, a reason to make sure that he suffers from it - because we as a club have suffered as well, and quite rightly so, because we are responsible for our players - but there is no question of us sacking Ben Flower."
Flower has been subjected to death threats on Twitter since the incident and Greater Manchester Police are investigating.
A series of abusive remarks were posted on one account on Tuesday directed to Flower, with some comments suggesting the player "deserves to be shot" and that his "last days are approaching".
Lenagan said: "I think death threats are crazy in the circumstances, when the victim himself is making clear his position.
"You always get extremists, particularly associated with sport."
