Hull KR prop Eribe Doro is set to avoid a suspension after the Rugby Football League confirmed two significant changes to their new disciplinary guidelines this Thursday morning.

The sport's governing body has introduced a new penalty points system for the 2025 season, with players picking up points for charges akin to the penalty system used for driving offences and only suspended once they meet a certain point threshold within any 12-month period.

The new system was first distributed to clubs last December, but January's review has seen a new consensus arise, with the laws committee, following feedback from clubs, now deeming it 'unfair' for players to be punished for offences committed in 2024 before the new guidelines were introduced.

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Before the amendments, players who had bulky disciplinary records from 2024, including Hull FC's Ligi Sao, would have been on the verge of a huge ban in 2025. However, in amending two key areas, player records from previous years will now be wiped from their totals for the new season, with every player starting on zero penalty points.

That should see Doro, who was charged with a Grade C offence and slapped with a two-game ban earlier this week, avoid a suspension, with a further statement expected this afternoon. Doro will instead have five points on his record for 2025, with the same process applying for charges given to players in all games played so far this year.

Meanwhile, the RFL have also confirmed a second disciplinary amendment, with players seeing a reduction by half of their points for an offence when sanctioned for a fine or suspension. For example, if a player receives four penalty points and is therefore at a threshold for a fine or suspension, then only two points will count on their overall record over that 12-month period.

Commenting on the amendment, the RFL said this is to 'recognise that the player has previously served a sanction. However, there remains a percentage of points on the player’s record to acknowledge that they have committed previous misconduct.'

Brought into effect from January 1, 2025, the new disciplinary system differs from suspending players pending the grades of each individual offence, as seen in previous years, and is hoped to further cut down general bans, instead punishing repeat or serious offenders. The new system is accumulated over a 12-month period, with player points removed after the date that the first charge came into effect.

Offences will still be graded on categories from A-E, down from A-F, with the two most serious categories, D and E, still incurring an immediate suspension. In fact, Grade E offences go straight to an operational rules tribunal—as seen recently with Connor Wynne and Jeylan Hodgson, who were handed six-game bans for punching and biting.

How the grading works
Grade A – 1 point penalty
Grade B – 3-point penalty
Grade C – 5-point penalty
Grade D – 12-point penalty
Grade E – Refer to tribunal, and a minimum six-match suspension determined by the tribunal

The penalty points tariff
0-2 - No further action
3-5 – Fine
6-8 - 1 match suspension
9-11 – 1-match suspension and a fine
12-14 – 2-match suspension
15-17 - 2-match suspension and a fine
18-20 – 3-match suspension
21-23 – 3-match suspension and a fine
24-26 - 4-match suspension
27-29 - 4-match suspension and a fine
30-32 - 5-match suspension
33-35 – 5-match suspension and a fine
36-38 – 6-match suspension and a fine
39-41 - 7-match suspension and a fine
42-44 - 8-match suspension and a fine
45-47 - 9-match suspension and a fine
48-50 – 10-match suspension and a fine
51-53 – 11-match suspension and a fine
54 + - 12 match suspension plus, and a fine