Queensland’s 32-6 win over New South Wales finished with a brawl, but the NRL judiciary has taken a light hand with the worst cuplrits.
Jarome Luai and Reece Walsh were both sent off for their part in the brawl, the pair aiming headbutts at each other in the middle of the pack. Josh Addo-Carr also found himself sat down, binned after throwing a punch at Walsh.
The NRL judiciary opted against bans for the players – handing down financial penalties instead.
Luai and Walsh were fined 23 percent of their match fee, while Addo-Carr was fined 10 percent of his.
Walsh received a second punishment of a further seven percent of his fee for dangerous contact on Luai in the 54th minute.
The brawl was ignited by Walsh, who was felled in a collision with James Tedesco while chasing a kick, leaving both fullbacks on the deck.
The Queenslander rose and traded insults with Luai, before the Foxx chucked a right over his five eighth’s shoulder in the direction of Walsh.
Walsh then butted Luai, who returned the favour immediately. Eventually, the cavalry arrived and referee Ashley Klein regained control. When the dust had settled, Addo-Carr was dispatched for ten minutes and the other two sent off.
Walsh didn’t let the dismissal ruin his evening. He was taunting the Blues throughout, pointing at the scoreboard, beforer taking the full adulation of the Suncorp Stadium faithful on his way to the sideline. Luai, for his part, got the opprobrium of the crowd as he trudged down the tunnel.
For a series often defined by on-field violence, there have been relatively few send offs in the history of State of Origin.
Craig Greenhill was the first to go, following a high tackle in Game 2 of 1996, followed by Gorden Tallis in 2000 for calling the referee a cheat and Trent Waterhouse in 2009, the only Blue to be sent off prior to Luai.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :thumbup:
mrl
Roar Rookie
More of a nose-rub than a head-butt.
mrl
Roar Rookie
Two in brawl.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
I was focussing on the bigger of the 2 evils.. the butt. You brought up the punch.
Dutski
Roar Guru
Nobody gets even a week for a headbutt? You're kidding me.
NQR
Roar Rookie
Mate Walsh was being polite and smiling giving Luai a traditional hongi welcome. There was zero force from Walsh compared to Luai’s ramming. I reckon Walsh might have said “talofa to our house b….”? That’s my guess but I couldn’t lip read. Walsh was doing nothing but laughing and offering advice. Luai was the bloke getting aggressive. LOL.
matth
Roar Guru
We can grind our teeth back through this history of nasty Origin incidents and of course there will be plenty on both sides, so why do NSW play the victim? You give as good as you get: Les Boyd, Mark Geyer, Roach on Lindner, the Steve Price hit. And you will have your own list. Last night Fox threw the punch that instigated everything from behind the safety of a teammate. No amount of “what about last year or five years ago or 40 years ago” changes that
Emcie
Roar Guru
No point hanging around making decisions without a buffet. I mean it’s not like these judiciary guys take the job for their love of fairness and justice
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
?? Sorry pal, lost me there.. Maybe I'm befuddled from early rising...
Emcie
Roar Guru
No catering available after 8pm
Albo
Roar Rookie
Its a shame the MRC can't rule on forward passes ? :silly:
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Was it even a 'punch'? LOL... I don't think Walsh even noticed it...
NQR
Roar Rookie
Are you still drowning your sorrows at this time of the morning? Last year NSW claimed Tino was punching Burton ? Know Tino was holding Burton’s hand behind his back? was protecting Burton’s head from getting the stuffing belted out of it. Gagai stopped throwing them when Tino said stop don’t hurt him mate. LOL.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Fox threw the first punch. But who returns a nothing brush with an escalating head butt ? Walsh keeps running his mouth trouble will find him.
NQR
Roar Rookie
Seriously you believe Luai isn’t an instigator? Ado Carr through what is commonly called a coward punch. They had been going after Walsh from game 1 with head hunting.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Same as Gagai got last year when he had Tino hold Burton's hands behind his back so he could lay into him. Haven't seen such blatant head butting since Nate Miles.. a Qld mentor (coincidentally).
matth
Roar Guru
Yep the Fox instigated it with a punch thrown from the safety area behind a teammate but got the lightest penalty?
Mungo69
Roar Rookie
Grubs like Walsh and Luai would never have lasted a game not so long ago.
danwain
Roar Rookie
And Walsh did what he does, let's not forget that here
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
The Fox's last representaive game, ever.