The Wests Tigers’ horror night has taken a turn for the worse with Alex Twal facing a one-game suspension for a hip-drop tackle in the 74-0 NRL loss to North Queensland.
The prop was sent to the sin bin for bringing Cowboys second-rower Luciano Leilua down in an awkward position just before half-time at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday.
The hip-drop tackle can cause serious lower-leg injuries but, after standing up gingerly, Leilua managed to play out the game. Already down 30-0, the Tigers conceded two more tries in Twal’s absence to fall to the biggest half-time deficit of the season: 42-0.
On Sunday morning, the match review committee charged Twal with grade two dangerous contact and proposed a one-match ban. Twal’s suspension will be increased to two matches if he unsuccessfully pleads his case at the NRL judiciary. As it stands, he will miss Thursday’s clash against third-placed Cronulla.
Twal’s teammate Isaiah Papali’i has been handed a $3000 fine for a hip-drop tackle of his own on Griffin Neame that went unpenalised on-field, while Jake Simpkin‘s dangerous throw on Neame will cost him $2500. Both incidents were categorised as grade-one offences.
Canberra forward Emre Guler has been fined $1000 for a grade-one crusher tackle on Jojo Fifita in the Raiders’ 26-22 defeat of Gold Coast.
Friday night’s matches led to four charges with Souths winger Taane Milne ($3000 or a two-match ban) the only player facing a possible suspension for dangerous contact on Warriors five-eighth Luke Metcalf.
Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake ($1000-$1500 for a high tackle), Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai ($1800-$2500 for dangerous contact) and centre Izack Tago ($1500-$2000 for a shoulder charge) have been fined.
Meanwhile, Sharks forward Dale Finucane looks likely to miss the next two weeks after he was charged for Dangerous Contact after Thursday night’s win over the Dragons.
Finucane upended Blake Lawrie in the first half, with the ref penalising it as a spear tackle but opting against further punishment. The Match Review Panel have subsequently cited the lock, and as it is his third and subsequent offence, he will face two weeks on the sidelines if he takes the early guilty plea.
It is the second time this year that Finucane has been suspended for an extended period. He copped a three-week ban in April after a hip-drop tackle on Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Last year, he was banned for three weeks for flying out of the line at Stephen Crichton, resulting in a nasty head clash that forced the Panthers centre to have his ear stitched back together.
The only other charge emanating from Thursday’s game was for Dragons winger Tautau Moga, who collected Jesse Ramien high in the final minute and was given a $1000 fine. It was his first offence of the year.
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