Manly prop Josh Aloiai has been hit with a one-game suspension for his part in the game-changing late penalty that took his side’s clash with the Warriors to extra time on Saturday afternoon.
Aloiai was adjudged to have attacked the legs of Shaun Johnson as he attempted a game-tying field goal, which, although he missed, resulted in an easy penalty goal. The game was ultimately drawn after two periods of golden point.
Though there was little intent, the NRL have shown zero tolerance for challenges towards the legs of kickers of late and slapped the front-rower with a ban.
The Warriors themselves saw the danger of such tackles last week, with their reserve grade hooker Freddie Lussick sent off and then banned for a similar incident that saw Lachlan Ilias wiped out for the season with a broken leg in NSW Cup.
But NRL legend Andrew Johns claimed the bunker got it wrong in penalising Aloiai.
A vocal advocate for the better protection of playmakers, Johns nonetheless labelled the contact as an accident and did not believe it warranted a penalty.
“I am all for protecting kickers and playmakers, I probably go over the top on it, but it wasn’t a penalty,” the former Newcastle and Kangaroos halfback said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“He’s competing. And when you compete hard, occasionally accidents happen. That was just an accident.”
Sione Katoa will sit out the Sharks’ clash with the Cowboys next weekend after being charged with a high tackle that left Souths captain Cam Murray concussed. He faces two games if he challenges the grading and loses.
Anthony Milford‘s return to the NRL looks likely to be cut short after the halfback was hit with a two-game ban for a shot on Broncos fullback Reece Walsh.
Milford hit Walsh on suspicion, with the ball never anywhere near the Brisbane player, leading the judiciary to slap him with two weeks if he takes the Early Guilty Plea.
That leaves Wayne Bennett in serious strife, as his team also lost Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to a hamstring injury and his replacement at the back, Kodi Nikorima, to a calf issue late in the game.
The Phins take on Parramatta next Friday night and will be down to the bare bones in the playmaker department.
Jordan Riki was the only other charge from the Battle of Brisbane: he was fined for a high shot on Jack Bostock but will be free to play next week.
In the early game, Ryan Papenhuyzen was charged for a hip-drop on Josh Addo-Carr, copping a $750 fine instead of a ban.
Also considering himself lucky is Sam Hughes, who was cited for a second week running for a head slam. Despite being binned at the time, he will not face any time off the field.
Alec MacDonald and Reimis Smith were also fined but not suspended.
Newcastle’s Jacob Saifiti was charged on Friday for his controversial high shot on Lindsay Collins which was not penalised even after the Bunker examined the incident.
Saifiti clocked his opposing prop in the head during Thursday night’s loss but because his opponent had fumbled the ball a split second before impact, the Bunker ruled no penalty after the Roosters challenged the decision.
Collins and coach Trent Robinson were fuming with the call which drew blood from the Test forward. Saifiti was handed a grade-one careless high tackle charge but faces only a fine of $1800-$2500.
Roosters half Luke Keary was pinged $1000 for contrary conduct for making avoidable contact with a match official.
with AAP
steveng
Roar Rookie
Its a bit late to give Sione Katoa anything for the Cam Murray high tackle, as it should have been a 10min bin, as it doesn’t help Souths in any way a day later.
WithTheDawn
Roar Rookie
On the one hand I’m surprised Aloiai was even charged, figured they would just let it go completely. But him only getting 1 week does highlight the Lussick one was purely based on the outcome of the conclusion, not the level of contact or recklessness in the first place. It has been amusing seeing people online (not here so much) being outraged he was even charged though. Like they missed last week entirely.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Haha… yeah , good point! The one hip drop that got penalised wasn’t even a hip drop… You couldn’t make this stuff up sometimes…
Froggy
Roar Rookie
“Feel free to hip drop your heart out on the Bulldogs You’ll be unlucky to even be penalised, let alone sin binned or suspended… ” Unless you’re Victor Radley…
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
As a general statement, I am in favour of punishments being doled out on the field of play. I think the whole "on report" business is a cop out and gives no benefit to the aggrieved team. I am a Storm supporter and would have been happy to see Paps sent to the bin for the hip drop which to my mind is a much more effective punishment. Such an action could well have swayed the result to the dogs but that is the appropriate response in my view. I think we were lucky to get the 2 points but hey I will take what we can get.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’ve been out technicalitied :laughing: :laughing: I thought the escalating scale made it clear I meant on field penalty but I should have been clearer I’ve got nothing against Paps. He’s one of my favourite (non Bulldogs) players. I’ve never seen him deliberately try to hurt him BUT… I think very few foul play incidents are caused by players who are deliberately tiring to hurt someone Most hip drops fall in that category For the past 110 years, a player in Papenhuyzens position would have slid down JAC’s legs once he’d caught him around the hips from behind But that allowed the attacking player to find his front and get a quick play the ball and the defender can’t get to marker So instead they maintain their grip around the hips and pull the tackled player backwards using their hips as the leverage point It’s a dangerous technique. I believe it’s to win the contest, not to injure a player, but it’s too high risk and that’s why I think it should be penalised out of the game Anyway, it is what it is. I’m not too bothered by Paps not being suspended - he’s a good un, but it’s a bit rich that the Bulldogs don’t even get an onfield penalty for foul play
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
A fine was a penalty the last time I looked. I always look at the intent. If its accidental (which I think Paps was) then that should warrant a lot lighter punishment than someone who goes in there with clear intent to hurt a player. As I said, I think Paps got a little slack because of his horrific run of injuries this last few years and the powers that be didn't want to add to his time out.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Also, technically speaking I said you’ll be unlucky to get penalised, let alone sin binned or suspended… Paps didn’t cop any of those for his hip drop… I didn’t mention fines :laughing: :laughing:
The Barry
Roar Guru
Come on. Lesser known players would get a couple of weeks for that So far only one player has chosen to miss weeks instead of a fine
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
I think Paps might point to the hole in bank balance to dispute that.
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
Annesley, not Abdo, is the man who has responsibility for sorting out this mess. But yes, I agree that it's time NRL Central stopped warming the bench, and sorted out the inconsistencies.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Not really Kurtis Morrin got two weeks for a traditional tackle on Murray that went slightly over the horizontal Mitchell came in as second man when Harris’ momentum had stopped, put his hands between his legs and tipped him upside down and got nothing Big name players get off light, no names get made an example of so the NRL can pat itself on the back and keep its best “product” out on the field…
Tony
Roar Guru
Hard to fathom?
The Barry
Roar Guru
First Wighton, now Paps Feel free to hip drop your heart out on the Bulldogs You’ll be unlucky to even be penalised, let alone sin binned or suspended…
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
I think the fact that he has lost so much game time due to injury these last few years gained him a little sympathy or benefit of the doubt. Certainly there was no intent to injure JAC just an effort to tackle gone bad. As for the NRL, yes I want them to be consistent of course I do but I also want them to use their brains in determining the appropriate punishment in exactly the same way that our judicial system can sentence wrong doers differently for the same crime. Using “tick sheet” approach to determine punishments is not the way to go.
Tony
Roar Guru
Exactly. Maybe JAC should have stayed down and had Paps in the bin or worse? Certainly would've improved the Dogs' chances.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Is a hip drop a hip drop or are they graded ? That was 2 weeks minimum. Whether a bloke gets up straight away or not is dependent on most cases on the will of the tackled player.
Cam
Roar Rookie
I’m a Storm supporter, so was relieved that Papenhuyzen was fine only. But geez, he needs to go and buy a lotto ticket, on face value it looked like a couple of weeks. But to be fair, that’s pretty much on-brand for the NRL hip drops, consistently inconsistent. There have been around a dozen of these this year, and each hip drop has also been ruled differently by the ref, bunker, MRC and judiciary. Crazy stuff.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Yes swapping those punishments would make more sense.
Tony
Roar Guru
The whole NRL "crime and punishment" thing is now totally inconsistent. It's time Abdo got off his arse and did something about it, starting with the bunker.