The NRL judiciary has handed down heavy sanctions for Wade Graham and Jordan Rapana, after a pair of heavy hits on Saturday.
The Sharks veteran and Raiders winger were both hit with four-match suspensions for the incidents, with an early plea to reduce the sanction to three weeks on the sidelines.
Rapana controversially only conceded a penalty for a brutal shoulder charge on Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater, the winger appearing to make little effort to wrap his arms and following up with a swinging arm on the prone fullback.
That was absolutely brutal! ????
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 4, 2023
How was Jordan Rapana not sent off for this? ????
????WATCH #NRLCowboysRaiders on Ch. 502 or stream via @kayosports https://t.co/KU6O1WswuO
???? MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/rVXGdyJVzS pic.twitter.com/we4dqzPwTI
The charge is Rapana’s second already in 2023, having copped a $3000 fine for a high hit on Tigers five-eighth Adam Doueihi during the trials.
Graham, meanwhile, was sent to the sin-bin for a colossal shot on Davvy Moale in the Sharks’ 27-18 loss to the Rabbitohs, which Fox League commentator Greg Alexander described as “the biggest hit I have seen for some time”.
“My god. That was one hell of a shot from Wade Graham,” Alexander added.
WHAT A HIT. ????
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 4, 2023
How did he hold onto it? ????
????WATCH #NRLSharksSouths on Ch. 502 or stream via @kayosports https://t.co/KU6O1WswuO
???? MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/nBa30Yum3S pic.twitter.com/mrCljaHGZb
The incident divided the NRL world, with some fans calling for Graham to be sent off after making contact with Kaufusi’s head, while others labelled the hit fair play.
Speaking after the match, Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou took the latter stance.
“He [Graham] shot out and it’s risky now when you shoot out like that,” Demetriou said. “I don’t think there was any intent in it, though.”
MORE TO COME
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/2McKFef faces hefty ban for ‘hell of a shot’ dividing NRL debate, Raiders repeat offender in strife again
Post a Comment