Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga looks set to be stripped of the captaincy after a video emerged of him being kicked out of a toilet cubicle with teammate Kurt Mann.
The video came to light on Monday morning, sparking Ponga’s dad, Andre to claim the 24-year-old was “sick in the toilet and his mate went in to help him” while out celebrating “an exciting house purchase.”
Although, Fox League’s James Hooper suggested that wasn’t the real story, telling NRL 360: “You might have to get Pinocchio out again, we aren’t believing that fairytale are we?”
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Newly signed football manager Peter Parr will front the media on Tuesday and News Corp Journalist Phil Rothfield believes it could be the end of Ponga’s reign as captain.
“I think it’s a really, really bad look and I know the Knights are really concerned about the PR side of it and the culture side of it,” he told NRL 360.
“Do you know how serious I think it is, I think he will be stripped of the captaincy over this.”
Ponga was announced as co-captain alongside Jayden Brailey in February, however with the latter missing for a lot of the season Ponga carried the responsibility himself for the first 16 rounds.
Hooper agreed that “it’s a bad scene” and urged the Knights to come down hard on Ponga given prop David Klemmer was stood down for an on-field incident involving a trainer.
“If he’s had concussions, commonsense tells you he should be (on an alcohol ban), certainly Kurt Mann (who is injured) is supposed to be on an alcohol ban,” he said.
Put asked to leave toilet cubicle | 00:16
“They tore strips off David Klemmer for swearing at a trainer on the field, I’d argue that this is far more detrimental in terms of negative headlines for the club and if they’re fair dinkum they’ll read the Riot Act tomorrow morning , Peter Parr will front the media and he will say ‘enough is enough, this is the line in the sand moment, we’re not going to tolerate this sort of jibber anymore.’
“Off the back of that I think both of them are going to have to be issued breach notices and fines. Because if they’re going to breach David Klemmer and fine him for something that was trivial on the field with a trainer, you can’t cop this.”
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However Paul Kent fears stripping the captaincy could have the opposite effect and believes the club should “demand” Put “lifts his standards.”
“I would say to him ‘you’re the only guy at this club that can lead us out of trouble and we’ve paid you the money you deserve, you’re a senior player and an Origin start…’ and I would oblige him to start leading them out of the woods,” he said.
“If you’re going to spend that money on a player you’ve got to get a return out of him. The way to get the best out of Kalyn is not to banish him, not to sack him from the captaincy.
“I’m not excusing it, I would bring him in and give him the Riot Act but I’d say to him ‘you’re the guy mate’ and I would demand that he starts lifting his standards and he takes his teammates with him.
“If he’s got any sense of decency inside of him as a player from a football point of view he will respond to that.”
Lowly Titans embarrass meek Manly | 02:18
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Braith Anasta agreed.
“As much as he’s taken the mickey, this guy holds the key to success… you’ve got to get this blokes in your hip pocket,” he said.
“Kick him in the ass but say ‘this is it mate, this is your last chance.’ They should do some in-house stuff over the next 24 hours, teach him a lesson, scare the you know what out of him and go ‘c’mon mate.’
“If you just sack him as captain you start to lose your key player.”
The usual suspects at the Wests Tigers have been busily launching a ticker-tape parade about the club’s new much-vaunted $78 million Center of Excellence in Concord.
Parading around like they’ve won the grand finale – can someone please tell them the Wests Tigers are in 16th position on the NRL ladder and now firm favorites to collect the club’s first-ever wooden spoon.
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There’s also been an early loose carry in the new digs hailed as the best rugby league training facility in the world with the organization dropping the ball when it comes to club legend and premiership-winner Benji Marshall’s playing career.
In a spiel about Marshall’s playing feats at the Wests Tigers, the club has somehow managed to stuff up who he won a premiership with.
Lowly Titans embarrass meek Manly | 02:18
For the record, the incoming Wests Tigers head coach in 2025 won a premiership with the Wests Tigers in 2005.
The flick pass to Pat Richards, anyone? It was also the club’s one and only premiership.
Instead, in the initial fit out of the new Center of Excellence – the Wests Tigers Marshall bio states he won a premiership with the Dragons.
Whoops. Benji Marshall did not win a premiership with the Dragons. Photo: NRL Roast TwitterSource: Twitter
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confused? Don’t worry, so were we.
The Wests Tigers have since confirmed the error and are in the process of getting it fixed.
Like Jack Gibson always said, winning starts Monday and winning starts in the front office.
Matty nails Buzz impersonation | 00:51
Anyway, they’ve also got a barber shop at the new Center of Excellence so at the very least the Tigers playing squad can sport fresh fades and the organization staff will look sharp.
In all seriousness the Center of Excellence is a great result for the club as a training facility and will no doubt help them on the training and recruitment front.
And once they fix up the Marshall faux pas then hopefully the only way is up.
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NRL great Cameron Smith believes Raiders coach Ricky Stuart got off lightly after he received a one game ban for a post-match spray about Panthers playmaker Jaeman Salmon.
Stuart was also issued with a $25,000 fine after calling Salmon “a weak-gutted dog” after Canberra’s 26-6 to Penrith last Saturday.
The veteran coach will miss his side’s crunch match with St George on Sunday, as the Raiders look to keep their dwindling hopes of finals football alive.
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As reported by Fox Sports’ James Hooper, Stuart also can’t attend training sessions or contract anyone at the club for seven days from when the punishment was handed down.
speaking on The Captains Runformer Melbourne Storm captain Smith said that he was expecting Stuart to be issued with at least a two-game suspension for his spray.
“With the Salmon family situation, are they still seeking some legal advice on the situation? That’s always an option for them because without a doubt it’s defamation, every day of the week,” Smith said onSEN 1170 Radio.
“I was shocked Kempy (Denan Kemp), I was really shocked. I don’t know how you felt about it but I was extremely shocked when I heard the comments from Ricky.
“We’ve all seen him have his say in post-match press conferences and at times he has certainly pushed the boundaries as far as comments and remarks around officials and what happened on the game.
“That was just a clear crossing of the line. You just don’t go there in that forum.
“He said as much in the days post the comments that he made that it was the wrong thing to do. Now he’s coped a week for it.
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“I thought that it was quite light to be honest, one week. Fairly significantly fine involved, $25,000, it’s a lot of money.
“I actually thought it was going to be more around a minimum of two weeks suspension from the club.”
While Stuart has never been afraid to express how he’s feeling after a match, both Smith and co-host Denan Kemp agreed that a line had been crossed.
Kemp said that a one match suspension was still “reasonable” considering how the Raiders are placed on the ladder, but still felt that the comments had fallen into a “no go zone”.
“If I’m being honest, I used to enjoy his blow-ups. I really did. As a footy fan I thought it was great that we had this guy that sometimes crossed the line, but I think the key for me was always it was about the football with professionals,” Kemp said.
“Whether he’s having a crack at the refs or whoever it was, they’re professionals, they’re apart of the game, and he’s having his opinion on that situation. That’s where I can go ‘you know what, I kind of like the passion’.
“The line is when it’s not at football, and once you get across that line, it’s a no go zone.
Cleary backs NRL over Stuart suspension | 02:44
“The reason why I’m a bit surprised he only got one week was because he obviously has formed, he’s got I think it was $160,000 worth of fines now.
“I’m still happy with a week. His team is at a very crucial point in the season right now, they need to win every single game pretty much.
Canberra are still in with a chance of playing finals football this season as they continue the run home with four games left to be played.
They’re two competition points behind eighth-place Sydney Roosters, but have a significantly worse point’s differential which could work against them.
Smith thinks that they’ll overcome the loss of their coach to incredibly make the finals, as they have the “softest run” of any team currently in the mix.
Controversial rugby league player manager Isaac Moses looks set to return to the NRL after a leaked email revealed he has been given the green light to return to the industry again.
Moses had been deregistered for 18 months after he was found to have breached his obligations as an agent in 2017 while working with then client Tim Mannah.
There was no guarantee Moses would be cleared to return to the game again but now he and another banned agent, Gavin Orr, have been given a reprieve.
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“He has been reinstated according to a leaked document,” rugby league reporter Michelle Bishop said on SEN 1170.
“A panel, we haven’t been told who was actually sitting on the panel to make the call on Tuesday night, listened to the managers pleading their case. They’ve decided that they’ve done their time and offered to lift their ban.
“Moses, who has a stable of about 100 players and looks after some coaches as well, he was deregistered in February 2021 for breaching his obligations as an agent. He was looking after Tim Mannah at the time. That ended in tears, I won’t go into finer details, but he’s back after 18 months.
“Gavin Orr had some issues in and around the salary cap with Cheyse Blair when he was at Parramatta. At one stage we were talking about both these player agents facing life bans. It’s been a massive turnaround.”
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At the time of Moses’ ban in February 2021, the NRL Appeals Committee described his breach as “one of great seriousness”.
Fox League’s James Hooper had reported back in April that Moses was getting closer to being allowed back into the game, not that the ban was stopping him from finding another way to support his clients.
“Technically, Moses has been banned from directly dealing with all 16 NRL clubs since the beginning of last year,” Hooper wrote in April.
“But in reality the deregistered agent’s company Cove Agency is still one of the most influential in the game and has been as busy as ever with a list of more than 100 NRL players on the books.
“Moses simply handed over the reins of the operation to his cousin – Stephen Moses – the brother of Eels halfback Mitchell Moses.”
The Wests Tigers have made an inquiry with Wigan about the prospect of bringing 2019 Dally M Backrower of the Year John Bateman back to the NRL in 2023.
In a move unrelated to Isaiah Papali’i having second thoughts about switching from Parramatta to Concord next year, Tigers director of football Tim Sheens has confirmed the club has made the approach.
The catch is going to be Bateman is under contract with Wigan until at least the end of 2024 and for now the Warriors have blocked the Tigers move.
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Bateman was one of the standout backrowers in the NRL the year the Canberra Raiders made the grand finale in 2019 before his tenure in the national capital sourced over a contract stalemate with the Green Machine.
Bateman then returned home to the UK at the end of the 2020 NRL season after inking a four-year deal with Wigan through until the end of 2024.
The Raiders were forced to pay a $250,000 transfer fee to Bradford to bring Bateman to the NRL the first time around but the one bonus with transfer fees to English clubs is they aren’t included in the NRL clubs salary cap.
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The Tigers have made a play for former Raiders star John Bateman.Source: Getty Images
The Bateman approach is creative thinking from Sheens trying to look outside the square and devise recruitment ploys aimed at overhauling the Wests Tigers roster.
The Tigers have made some recruitment moves this week by re-signing Brent Naden, Asu Kepoa and Starford To’a but the real recruitment space where they need to get busy is the re-signing of Adam Doueihi.
Doueihi is easily the Tigers best player, a local junior and the type of leader the Wests Tigers need to build the club around.
With Sheens and Benji Marshall now having control of the steering wheel at least it won’t be left to dithering management types to make another misguided mistake.
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‘He gets angry at some weird things’ | 01:13
The issue with Doueihi is he’s going to be a free agent as of November 1 and you can guarantee rival clubs are going to be getting the queue to try and convince the five-eighth to switch allegiances.
The Tigers need to sharpen their pencil and try and get a long-term deal done now prior to the stronger clubs being able to table a deal.
The Melbourne Storm have already had one crack at getting Doueihi on loan for the remainder of this year and with uncertainty surrounding the future of Cameron Munster the Tigers five-eighth would make an ideal replacement.
The NRL has suspended Raiders coach Ricky Stuart for one match and issued a $25,000 fine for the post-match spray where Panthers player Jaeman Salmon was labeled “a weak-gutted dog.”
The one-week suspension means Stuart is banned from attending Canberra Raiders training for seven days as well as the Raiders must-win round 22 match against St George Illawarra at GIO Stadium on Monday.
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Round 22
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Stuart has publicly acknowledged he over-stepped the mark by getting personal with the Panthers utility player at the after-match NRL press conference.
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Ricky apologizes for salmon spray | 01:04
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The divide in the Newcastle dressing room has been simmering for the past few months with Knights coach Adam O’Brien telling the playing group after a recent loss: “I know what you blokes are saying about me. I’m going nowhere.”
The point blank message from O’Brien can be revealed as the Knights go into damage control in the wake of the coach’s loose carry press conference last Sunday.
O’Brien fronted the media again on Tuesday to try and walk things back off the cliff but by that stage the cracks in the Newcastle dressing room had been prized wide open.
The David Klemmer situation has only driven a further wedge into the struggling club which has only managed five wins out of 19 games this year.
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The Knights started this season full of optimism after back-to-back wins over the Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers before going on a run of seven losses leading into Magic Round.
It’s been slim pickings since with Newcastle now having the worst defensive record in the NRL having leaked 522 points at an average of 27.47 points per game along with currently having the worst differential in the competition of minus 238 points.
There’s no question O’Brien’s penchant for a blow-up is wearing thin with elements of the Newcastle playing group.
The problem for O’Brien is in 2022 it’s so much easier to get rid of a head coach than it is to completely try and turn over a roster.
The old saying goes you’ve never really been a head coach until you’ve lost four games in a row and the heat is on – which is exactly where O’Brien finds himself now.
‘AT A TIPPING POINT’: Knights at a crossroads, O’Brien feels for running ‘soft ship’
David Klemmer’s future at Newcastle is clouded. NRL PHOTOSSource: The Daily Telegraph
The Knights are adamant O’Brien will remain as the head coach next season but the biggest immediate challenge the Newcastle coach faces is getting the playing group all back on the same page.
New Director of Football Peter Parr has arrived at Newcastle and could only be shaking his head at the bun fight he’s walked into.
O’Brien is signed with Newcastle until the end of 2024 which if the Knights stay the course would mean he’s had a five-year tenure at the club.
After the events of the past week it’s now become blatantly clear the Knights coach needs a fast start to next season to ensure his own job security.
Let’s call the Klemmer play from Newcastle for what it is – the Knights are clearly trying to free up some money to try and go in a different direction next season.
Klemmer is on $800,000-plus which would give Newcastle some serious money to go to the open market with.
Plenty of ex-players are happy to tell you middle forwards often protest against being dragged from the field.
Newcastle have clearly identified they no longer want the ex-NSW and Australian prop at the Knights and so have started the process of steering him towards another club.
Adam O’Brien has come under scrutiny this week. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
ROOSTERS MOVE TO LOCK UP WALKER
The Sydney Roosters are set to launch a multi-million dollar play aimed at keeping young gun halfback Sam Walker at the Tricolours long-term.
Walker, 20, will be a free agent for rival clubs to approach as of November 1 but like all the good clubs the Roosters will try and make sure they strike a deal well beforehand.
The other rookie who has everyone talking at the Chooks is emerging superstar Joseph Suaalii. The Roosters clearly value his contribution to the team at the point where champion frontrower Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been bringing him into leading the club’s team song over the past fortnight.
Jared has long been the Roosters leader in charge of leading the team song. Even after the Roosters were disappointed with their round 20 win over Manly, JWH still insisted on Suaalii riding shot gun with him leading the celebrations.
Nofoaluma vows to honor Tigers deal | 01:16
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DRAGONS CHASE ROOSTERS HOOKER
THE Gold Coast Titans aren’t the only club having a crack at signing Sydney Roosters hooker Sam Verrills.
The St George Illawarra Dragons are also making a play for the premiership-winning no.9.
Where it gets interesting is the Dragons have had a tough conversation with current hooker Andrew McCullough.
McCullough, 32, still has a year to run on his contract next season but the Red V are clearly exploring going in a different direction.
McCullough is one of the ex-Broncos clique of Dragons players who enjoys a close rapport with Red V coach Anthony Griffin.
The hooker, Dragons captain Ben Hunt and Josh Maguire all played in an under 20s grand finale with the Broncos in 2008 when Griffin was the coach.
‘This is what gives me the s****!’ | 02:04
FARAH GETS HANDS ON IN TIGERS FRONT OFFICE
The Wests Tigers putting the band back together with Tim Sheens, Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah is a smart play from the struggling club.
What’s equally as smart is Farah’s new contract stipulating that he’s also set to learn the ropes in terms of front office administration with the club.
The Tigers have long been laughed at by rival clubs about the way the club has been run.
Getting a figurehead like Farah who has bled for the club more hands-on in this department makes a lot of sense.
SOUTHS MOVE TO KEEP LATRELL, CODY AT REDFERN
We told you last week how South Sydney had a delicate $6 million balancing act on their hands around the re-signings of superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell and five-eighth star Cody Walker.
We were told there was a big chance the two key position players would wait until after November 1 to re-commit to South Sydney.
The Rabbitohs have swiftly moved to try and nip the scenario in the bud by meeting with the star duo earlier this week.
Both Latrell and Cody are off-contract at the end of next season but with talks progressing positively there’s every chance they can soon re-commit to the Bunnies.
It will be a huge coup for the red and green club and also for CEO Blake Solly.
Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has slammed rivals for “exploiting” the August 1 signing deadline after finals contenders raided the merger club’s outside back stocks.
Bellamy’s Storm signed flyer David Nofoaluma, while the Roosters acquired English import Oliver Gildart’s services for the remainder of 2022.
While Hagipantelis agrees there are some benefits of letting players go on short-term loans — he believes clubs should have to look within for recruits to replace injured or suspended squad members.
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“My personal view is I am not a fan of the transfer system this late in the season, I agree with Peter V’landys that it is there to be exploited,” Hagipantelis said on Fox Sports News.
“The intentions when it was introduced were all very altruistic to assist during the Covid pandemic, but it has gone further than that now.
“And if there is one thing that NRL clubs are good at doing, that is exploiting the rules.
“I think that this late in the season, clubs that are struggling for reasons of injury or suspension should look to themselves, it is a test of their own resilience and their depth.
“I am not in favor of the top four or top eight teams cherry-picking from the bottom eight to enhance their prospects of a premiership, they should be relying on their own assets.
“But as I say, the rules are there to be exploited.”
‘Can’t be repaired’ – Are Manly split? | 03:58
Hagipantelis was also asked how he thinks the fans have reacted to the club allowing players to leave for the remainder of 2022 — revealing the overwhelming response was positive.
“I think it has been understanding, I think people understand that there is a forensic and financial advantage to an NRL club in this loan system,”
“There can be advantages to the player as well to experience an alternate reality and then come back, David Nofoaluma is a perfect example.
“I know David personally, I think it will be very good for him to get away from Sydney to play in Melbourne and in all likelihood play in the finals.
“He is very keen on coming back to the Wests Tigers with that experience under his belt, we see how David plays when he plays for Samoa when he has something to play for.”
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The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield revealed on NRL360 ARLC chairman Peter V’landys was set to move to August 1 deadline back to its original June 30 date.
In 2020, the cut-off was moved to assist teams stuck in Queensland fill their squads without reserve grade competitions taking the field.
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent was “disappointed” the NRL didn’t have the foresight to shift the date back, labeling it an “oversight” from powerbrokers.
“The whole thing is a win for common sense, it needed to happen, I am disappointed it was allowed to happen this year, I think it was an oversight that they have allowed it to happen,” Kent said.
How long will Carrigan get for hip drop? | 03:22
“The fact is, this is wrong for so many reasons this August 1 deadline, it is allowing teams to troubleshoot their rosters.
“The part of the game’s appeal is your 30-man roster gets you through the season, and it is the attrition and the endurance to last the season and to get to the finals in a good state of fitness.
“If you can’t do that for whatever reason… so be it, but that is a part of the magic of this competition.”
Fox League’s James Hooper agreed, explaining clubs making late-season signings “cheapens” the values that NRL clubs have stood for.
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It has long been the attitude of the rugby league fraternity that your roster is what you have to work with for that season, and if replacements are needed they came from reserve grade.
Now clubs are able to cast an eye across the competition and cherry pick the best players from teams who will not be playing football finals.
“For a game that has been founded on tribalism, it just cheapens that whole concept because for the weaker clubs, what does it say for their fans,” Hooper said.
V’landys moves transfer deadline | 03:02
“They don’t get anything out of the fact that the strong clubs sit back and know the deadline is looming, know they have got time.
“Look at the Storm, how many players did they go after from Reece Walsh to Adam Doueihi… the list went on.
“That can’t be sitting well with the clubs down the bottom of the ladder.”
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“For those middle teams… they get no benefit out of it, and I actually believe they are harmed by it because they can’t troubleshoot,” Kent said.
“The middle teams are not attracting players and they aren’t loaning players because it is just too tight, they need all hands on deck.
“They were being impacted, it was basically strengthening the top four teams who have the ability to go and pick the eyes out, as has happened, of the bottom four teams and just target their better players.”
Rugby league legend Gorden Tallis believes sending Patrick Carrigan straight to the judiciary is a harsh call and has questioned why Aaron Booth got off scot-free for a tackle that was just as dangerous, if not more.
Carrigan will front the judiciary on Tuesday night with a big ban looming for the Broncos star following a hip-drop tackle on Jackson Hastings.
Hastings was taken from the field with an ankle injury immediately after the incident and it’s since been confirmed he’ll require surgery and will miss the rest of the season.
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Meanwhile, Titans hooker Booth was not penalized or cited by the match review committee for a cannonball-style tackle on Joe Tapine. The Raiders star made his known feelings about the tackle with the two engaging in a scuffle afterwards which saw Tapine sin-binned for an alleged punch.
Tallis told Triple M that he didn’t think Carrigan’s tackle “was as bad as some that I’ve seen this year” and brought up the Booth incident.
“So Aaron Booth, I have spears into the back (of Joe Tapine). Which one is worse in your eyes?,” he asked the panel.
“I can’t believe he didn’t get reported,” Ben Dobbin said.
“It wasn’t even a penalty,” James Hooper added.
Tapine binned for punching Titan | 00:23
Tallis acknowledged if he were in Hastings’ position he’d be “disappointed” but would still think the tackle was an accident.
He also put it to James Graham which tackle he’d “have more offense over” to which Graham said: “Probably the one from the Titans game, it seemed to have more intent in the tackle.”
But he added: “People say intent should be brought into it but it’s just so difficult to identify.
“You could say ‘it’s an accident, I was just trying to wrap the legs up,’ you could make an argument for the tackle on Joseph Tapine — the guy’s just going in to wrap his legs up and he goes too low.”
Given Bulldogs forward Corey Waddell received a five-game ban for an eye-gouge after being referred straight to the judiciary, it’s likely Carrigan will receive similar punishment.
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However Tallis told Triple M that Carrigan should only get an absolute maximum of two weeks.
“I thought, calling it live, he would be unlucky to get a week or two,” he said.
But Fox League’s James Hooper believes the 24-year-old is facing a much longer stint on the sidelines and suggested the extent of Hastings’ injury will come into play.
“In all likelihood the fact he’s been referred… I think Pat Carrigan is rubbed out for the rest of the season and he’s back for September,” he said.
Tallis, however, believes an injury shouldn’t have any bearing on punishment—and an eye-gouge is worse than Carrigan’s tackle anyway.
“You can’t take that (Hastings’ injury) into consideration,” Tallis argued.
“If you tell me that tackle is as bad as an eye gouge… if someone has their fingers around your eyes I’d bite their fingers off.”
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James Graham agreed that Hastings’ injury shouldn’t be a factor.
“It shouldn’t, it really shouldn’t,” he said.
“The reason why they shouldn’t is because sometimes teams will lie about the extent of the injury and I’ve been on the end of that.
“In that Good Friday game where I went to charge down the drop goal from Adam Reynolds, Souths came out and said he’s going to be out for five-to-six weeks. He was out for two.
“If you’re going to go into what’s the severity of the injury, how do you know that is true?”
The NRL Match Review Committee has come under fire for some glaring inconsistencies regarding foul play in a confounding weekend of rugby league in Round 20.
Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for an elbow to the face of Warriors hooker Wayde Egan, while teammate Josh King went unpunished for a potential eye-gouge.
Meanwhile, Titans hooker Aaron Booth escaped sanction for a cannonball tackle on Raiders forward Joe Tapine, while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves got away with a fine for a similar action to Asofa-Solomona’s, on Manly rookie Zac Fulton.
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And Broncos lock Patrick Carrigan was neither sin-binned or sent off for a hip drop tackle that saw him referred directly to the Judiciary and has him facing a lengthy ban.
Foxsports.com.au breaks down the five incidents to point out the stunning inconsistency from the MRC.
NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA
Asofa-Solomona was placed on report for an elbow/forearm on Warriors hooker Wayde Egan, but was not charged by the match review committee.
The incident in the fourth minute of the Storm’s win over the Warriors saw the Asofa-Solomona come down hard on top of Egan’s jaw with his forearm and elbow.
The Warriors rake had to leave the field and there were fears such an action had the potential to result in a broken jaw.
Andrew Johns smoked at the MRC for failing to take action against Asofa-Solomona for an incident that he believed could have resulted in an on-field send-off.
“It’s laughable,” Johns said.
“I back the players all the time, but for me that’s a four-week suspension.
“Nothing for that, or even fine? That’s close to a send-off. I can’t believe it.”
Ryan Girdler accused the MRC of not taking the rules seriously in a stinging rebuke of the Asofa-Solomona decision.
“It was very avoidable as opposed to running the football rather than when you are the defender,” Girdler said on Triple M.
“We spoke about Dale Finucane and the onus needs to be on the defender and there needs to be a duty of care to the player with the ball, especially now we see so many people in tackles and technique and holding and so forth.
“That needs to be taken seriously by the players.
“But if you want to take it seriously then the match review committee need to take it seriously as well.
“Letting Nelson get off with that sends a sign out there to the players, that sort of behavior is OK and it’s not.”
It begs the question, would the Storm star, who has formed, have been suspended or even sent off had he broken Egan’s jaw?
Any player that now finds himself in a similar tackle will be bringing up this Asofa-Solomona incident as their main defense in the future and a dangerous precedent has now been set.
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Nelson Asofa-Soloma escaped sanction for an elbow on Wayde Egan.Source: Supplied
JOSH KING
Storm lock Josh King escaped sanction for a potential eye-gouge on Warriors forward Jazz Tevaga, despite being placed on report and penalized.
In fairness to King the action may have been accidental, but it came just a week after Bulldogs enforcer Corey Waddell copped a five week suspension for coming into contact with the eyes of Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
In Waddell’s case there was no genuine proof of a gouging action, but he copped a monster ban for coming into contact with the eyes of an opponent.
Gorden Tallis and Greg Alexander believed that King would be in trouble, given the harsh reaction to the Waddell incident, even if it was incidental contact.
“I think it is minimal contact, but you can’t make contact with the eyes,” Tallis said.
“I don’t like it. Don’t go near the eyes.”
“Corey Waddell got five weeks for not even gouging someone,” Alexander added.
“In slow motion it doesn’t look good. His hand went over the top of the face and got somewhere in the eye vicinity so he could be in trouble.
King could have been given the opportunity to protest his innocence at the judiciary and may well have proven it, but the decision not to charge him a week after giving Waddell five weeks on the sidelines smacks of inconsistency.
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King eye gouge raises questions! | 00:41
AARON BOOTH
Titans hooker Aaron Booth went unpunished by the MRC for a potential cannonball tackle on Raiders forward Joe Tapine.
The incident in the 32nd minute of the Titans 36-24 loss to the Raiders saw two Gold Coast players tackling Tapine before Booth came in late down around his legs from behind in a cannonball style tackle.
Tapine took issue with the tackle and the pair got into a scuffle, which resulted in the Raiders star being sent to the sin bin.
On his way to the sin bin Tapine questioned the tackle to the referee but Ben Cummins said the tackle was cleared.
The cannonball tackle is up there with the hip drop as one of the most dangerous tackles on a rugby league field for its ability to cause serious injury.
“Joe Tapine must have felt what he thought was a cannonball as Aaron Booth comes in right at the knees,” Matt Russell said.
Aaron Booth tackles Joe Tapine.Source: FOX SPORTS
“You have got to be above the knees. Quads or higher.”
While Booth may have initially hit Tapine on the hamstrings, the speed and force at which he came into the tackle from behind as the third man in, had the potential to cause Tapine a serious injury, which is why he was so angry.
Gorden Tallis told Triple M that he didn’t think Patrick Carrigan’s tackle “was as bad as some that I’ve seen this year” and brought up the Booth incident.
“So Aaron Booth, I have spears into the back (of Joe Tapine). Which one is worse in your eyes?,” he asked.
“I can’t believe he didn’t get reported,” Ben Dobbin said.
“It wasn’t even a penalty,” James Hooper added.
“Probably the one from the Titans game, it seemed to have more intent in the tackle,” James Graham added.
If the MRC are serious about stamping it out of the game, Booth should have at least been charged and given the opportunity to defend himself at the judiciary.
Failing to charge these incidents gives the players no deterrent to stop employing the cannonball tackle if they think they can get away with it on a technicality.
Tapine binned for punching Titan | 00:23
PATRICK CARRIGAN
Broncos lock Patrick Carrigan is facing a lengthy suspension for his hip-drop tackle on Jackson Hastings after being referred directly to the judiciary.
Carrigan deserves to be suspended for the ugly tackle that broke Hastings’ leg and ruled him out for the season.
However, if the incident was deemed serious enough to refer Carrigan straight to the judiciary, why was he not sin-binned or sent off?
Nathan Cleary coped with a five week suspension after being sent off for an ugly lifting tackle on Dylan Brown.
If Carrigan is looking at a similar ban, the Tigers should have got the on-field advantage of having the Broncos reduced to 12 men for 10 minutes at least.
James Hooper believes Carrigan will miss the remainder of the regular season with a five week ban.
Patrick Carrigan’s hip-drop tackle.Source: Supplied
“In all likelihood the fact he’s been referred… I think Pat Carrigan is rubbed out for the rest of the season and he’s back for September,” Hooper said.
If Carrigan cops a five game ban, it is confounding how he wasn’t sent off for the tackle or at the very least sin-binned.
On the other hand Gorden Tallis questioned why Carrigan is potentially meeting the same fate as Waddell who is out for five weeks due to an eye-gouge.
“If you tell me that tackle is as bad as an eye gouge… if someone has their fingers around your eyes I’d bite their fingers off,” Tallis said.
It raised the question of Hastings’ injury playing a part in the punishment, which comes back to Asofa-Solomona potentially facing a ban had he broken Egan’s jaw.
Carrigan’s hip drop injuries Hastings | 01:01
JARED WAEREA-HAGREAVES
The Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves escaped with a fine for an early guilty plea after being charged by the match review committee for a similar incident to Asofa-Solomona’s.
The Roosters star was penalized and placed on report for an elbow to the face of Manly rookie Zac Fulton while he was on the ground.
Waerea-Hargreaves’ punishment brings up two questions. Why was he not banned because a small fine is not a deterrent for these actions?
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves escaped with a fine.Source: Getty Images
And given Asofa-Solomona’s incident is widely considered to be much worse than the Roosters star’s actions, why wasn’t the Storm forward charged by the MRC?
Referee Grant Atkins labeled Waerea-Hargreaves actions unacceptable.
“Jared can’t do what he did, that is unacceptable, that is why it is against you,” Atkins said.
But how can an unacceptable action on a rugby league field receive only a small $3000 fine.
Coupled with the Asofa-Soloma incident, a small fine for Waerea-Hargreaves and no punishment at all for the Storm forward offers no deterrent whatsoever for players who employ these grubby tactics.
