- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai has shrugged off the social media firestorm with people claiming he was a grub for seemingly taunting Selwyn Cobbo when he was knocked out in the second minute.
“Yeah they’ve always called me that,” he told reporters on Thursday morning when told he was being labelled a grub. “You’ve got to take into consideration that they’re not out there on the field.
“I actually didn’t know that he was knocked out but that’s Origin, heat of the moment stuff and we play with a lot of passion. I spoke to him after the game and he was all good.
“I don’t think I have anything to apologise for. There wasn’t any harm, I didn’t touch him.”
The three players at the centre of the State of Origin brawl were fined by the NRL match review committee as Blues coach Brad Fittler questioned why Maroons forward Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was not sin-binned for his part in the melee.
Fa’asuamaleaui was charged with grade-one dangerous contact for putting Matt Burton in a headlock while he tried to defend himself after Dane Gagai swung punches at his rival centre.
The Gold Coast skipper was also charged with a grade-two careless high tackle in the ninth minute, coincidentally also on Burton, but is only facing a combined penalty of 20% of his match fee of $15,000.
For a player on a massive contract like Fa’asuamaleaui, a $3000 fine for two offences in an Origin game is hardly a deterrant for foul play.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Gagai and Burton were each charged with grade-two striking offences and face a fine of 23% of their match fee under the controversial new grading system that the ARL Commission rushed through this year.
They could be slugged 33% of their match fee if they unsuccessfully contest the charge while Fa’asuamaleaui could risk 30% of his payment if he challenged the judiciary.
Dane Gagai had no regrets about his actions and said he held no hard feelings towards Burton over the incident.
“It’s Origin – just stepping up for your mates,” Gagai told AAP of his thought process behind the fight that landed both fines, but no NRL suspensions.
“Two alpha males just not wanting to back down, and it was on. My old man always taught me what happens on the field stays on the field and I’ve met him outside of footy a few times.
(Channel 9 screenshot)
“He seems like a good man, so no hard feelings; he was just standing up for himself, I was standing up for my mate.”
Queensland 2-1 series upset sets up a juicy next chapter for both sides, given the fresh talent introduced in 2022 and the old heads like Gagai who still hope to play their part.
“For the next couple of years we’re going to be in for some good Origins,” Gagai said. “I took it personally after we lost all of our key players like Billy, Greg Inglis, Thurston, all those big names, people thinking it was almost like NSW’s turn to dominate.
“So to get the win was so special.”
Ben Hunt, who scored a 70-metre intercept try to seal the contest, said there was respect between the sides despite the animosity on Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t call it anger,” he said. “It’s passion and wanting to win. There’s a lot of aggressive boys going hard at each other. Origin is alive and well; the last five years (the winner has been) chopping and changing. It’s amazing, good for our game.
“I wouldn’t say (NSW) ‘don’t get it’ (Origin) … we were just going to give it everything. They’re (NSW) in a great spot and we’ve got a great side so they will be some good footy in years to come.”
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Brad Fittler labelled Burton’s sin-binning in the State of Origin decider a “tad ridiculous” as NSW lick their wounds after the Maroons’ comeback win.
Burton and Gagai were sin-binned as the Origin series decider descended into a throwback, fists flying. They were both given a spell by referee Ashley Klein in the 42nd minute after the Maroons made a snap break at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
As Queensland burst upfield, Burton collided with Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga after he had passed and was trying to catch up with the play. Gagai took exception to the contact on Ponga and knocked him over before they squared up. The pair both hesitated and then threw a flurry of punches at each other.
While most of Burton’s missed, Gagai found the NSW centre’s head repeatedly and he got up after the melee with a black eye and bleeding nose. It was helped by Fa’asuamaleaui holding Burton back as Gagai laid into him, putting him into a headlock.
Klein showed no tolerance for the violence and sent the pair to the sin bin, but spared Fa’asuamaleaui. The incident appeared to galvanise the hosts, who kicked on from 12-10 down to win 22-12. “He didn’t initiate it, he’s not going to fight anyone,” Fittler said of Burton.
“At the end of the day, Burton didn’t initiate it. He’s not going to fight anyone. He’s got belted. We got the penalty, he got belted, then got in a headlock and we walk out with one player down each. It’s a tad ridiculous. But it is what it is,” he said.
Blues captain James Tedesco wondered why Fa’asuamaleaui wasn’t sin-binned, before Fittler shut down the topic.
Origin games were once famed for descending into fighting but the NRL has taken a no-nonsense approach to on-field brawls.
Klein’s approach was consistent with Origin II, 2020, when Fa’asuamaleaui and Payne Haas were both binned for trading blows.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.