England captain George Williams will miss the first two Tests against Tonga after his appeal against his extended ban was rejected by a new three-person tribunal.
The Warrington half-back’s initial one-game suspension for a shoulder charge in the play-off defeat by St Helens was doubled after a failed appeal.
Williams appealed against the ban again in the hope of having it overturned.
But the 28-year-old will now be withdrawn from the England squad.
Whether coach Shaun Wane will call up a replacement for Williams remains to be seen, or who he will name as the new captain, for the historic three-Test series which starts in St Helens on Sunday.
It is Tonga’s first international rugby league series against England, and they are the first Pacific Islands nation to tour for a full international series.
Williams was first hit with a one-match ban for a Grade B shoulder charge in the Wire’s 16-8 defeat by St Helens in the eliminator play-offs.
That was increased to two games after Williams’ first appeal against the grading was deemed “frivolous” by the independent Operational Rules Tribunal.
Warne named Williams in his squad to take on Tonga pending the outcome of his second appeal.
However, a three-person On-Field Operational Rules Appeals Tribunal considered the case and rejected it, leaving Williams’ two-game ban in place.
