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Canberra’s Jordan Rapana could miss the first month of the NRL season after twice being reported for shoulder charges during Maori All Stars’ fiery 16-10 win over the Indigenous All Stars.
After conceding the opening try, the Maori ran in three unanswered four-pointers before hanging tough amid a last-ditch Indigenous surge at CommBank Stadium on a wet Saturday night.
Warriors forward Josh Curran (head knock) was the only obvious injury concern, the Indigenous lock walking off under his own steam after incidentally copping the hip of Rapana while chasing a grubber.
Having initially found trouble with a bracing hit on David Fifita, Maori fullback Rapana was sin-binned later in the first quarter for a shot on Jessie Ramien that almost caused tensions to boil over.
Rapana faces a lengthy suspension considering there are two previous non-similar grade-one offences on his record, meaning 40 per cent loading (20 per cent for each prior) would be applied to a potential ban.
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A wild shoulder charge has set things OFF! A hit, an all-in, sin bins, players on report! ????
???? All Stars LIVE on Channel 9 and 9Now.#NRLAllStars #NRL pic.twitter.com/JYpivRgaPW
— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) February 12, 2022
The base penalty for a grade-one shoulder charge is 200 demerit points (two matches) while a grade-two warrants 350 demerit points. An early guilty plea affords players a 25 per cent discount.
If sidelined, Rapana could be replaced on the wing for the Raiders by exciting teenager Xavier Savage, who made an impression in two NRL appearances last season.
Jordan Rapana of the Maori All Stars is sent off for 10 minutes during the NRL All Stars match. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Indigenous prop Andrew Fifita, who completed a remarkable comeback from a life-threatening throat injury suffered last season, was also sent to cool off for 10 minutes for sparking the mass push-and-shove.
Gold Coast forward David Fifita wowed as the 21-year-old bulldozed three defenders during a 50-metre burst to assist a Ramien try in the 12th minute before being cleaned up by Rapana.
The Maori side struck back when halfback Kodi Nikorima strolled over the line thanks to a couple of smart offloads from his co-captain Joe Tapine and prop James Fisher-Harris.
Esan Marsters then put the Maori in the lead early in the second half after benefiting from a backline shift.
With Ramien sin-binned for a professional foul late in the third quarter, the Maori took advantage and extended the margin when Tapine powered his way to the in-goal.
Nineteen-year-old St George Illawarra flyer Tyrell Sloan pulled a try back for the Indigenous All Stars in the final term as he zoomed onto a lovely kick from five-eighth Nicho Hynes.
Indigenous captain Josh Addo-Carr went close to pouncing on a grubber to potentially salvage a draw in the dying moments but Reimis Smith beat him to the ball.
© AAP
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