Lisa should be sanctioned for punching someone. Absolutely. Punching isn�t okay, punching is serious. � although, I do think people are looking too much into the fact that Rona was knocked out � that�s totally irrelevant, a punch is a punch, and even if she wasn�t knocked out, the penalty for one punch should be the same in football-land, even though you would potentially have different legal liability if it could be shown that your intent was to cause grievous bodily harm. It also wouldn't make a difference to me if Lisa had punched Rona square in the face, a punch is a punch is a punch - the fact that she chose to punch Rona in the back of the head indicates no more than cowardliness.
Of course it makes a difference - if you can't see it coming, you can't defend or brace yourself, and the potential for serious injury is much higher. Add in the fact that this didn't happen in the immediate aftermath of the verbal exchange (and I understand it was an actual exchange) but rather after the game was finished gives the punch a cold and calculated side to it that should require an even harsher punishment than if the punch was immediate after something was said.
Add in the history of the Lower Hutt player who has done this before, and the whole CF way of handling this, you end up with a complete disgrace as the end result.
And finally, I thought the Karori player has taken resonsibilty - she admitted saying things, what else is she supposed to do? The point is, whatever she said, the response she received was grossly inappropriate, and I feel some people are too easily glossing over what is a very serious case with potential ramifications for others further down the line.
"Phoenix till they lose"