Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney has avoided suspension despite going on report twice in their win over the Sharks on Saturday night.
Mahoney first went into the book for a high shot on Toby Rudolf that left the Cronulla star needing a head injury assessment, before a controversial tackle on a prone Daniel Atkinson in the second half saw him collect the Shark in the head with his arm and triggered a scuffle.
The Bulldogs antagonist raised eyebrows after the game when he described the incident as ‘Bulldogs footy’ and accused Atkinson of exacerbating the contact.
“If someone’s laying on the ground, I’m not going to just lay on him,” he told Fox League. “This is a tough sport, mate. If you’re going to carry on like that … It’s Bulldogs footy. We’re tough, it’s what we do.”
Mahoney has avoided a ban for either incident, the Atkinson tackle deemed grade 1 dangerous contact by the judiciary and earning him a $2500 fine, while the hit on Rudolf received an identical fine for a grade 1 careless high tackle.
Both fines can be reduced to $1800 with an early plea.
However, teammate Sitili Tupouniua wasn’t so lucky, copping a two-match ban that can be reduced to one with an early plea for his last-second hit on Braydon Trindall that saw him bizarrely sin-binned after the final siren.
The shot was graded second-grade dangerous contact by the judiciary.
"Has history been made?"
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Sitili gets Sin Bin!
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St George Illawarra have copped another hit to their forward pack with Emre Guler facing a hefty ban of at least three games for a crusher tackle.
The Dragons forward was handed a grade-one charge for a crusher tackle on Shaun Blore in St George Illawarra’s shock win over Melbourne.
Ordinarily he would have been able to pay a $1500 fine for the offence, but Guler’s record of two charges in his previous three matches means that punishment is greatly embellished.
The starting front-rower will now miss three games with an early guilty plea, or risk a fourth game on the sideline if he tries to fight the charge and loses.
The Dragons were battling a shortage of middle forwards to start the season following Francis Molo’s exit, before having that pressure relieved with David Klemmer’s arrival at the club.
With Ryan Couchman out for the season and Hame Sele and Tom Eisenhuth still sidelined for this weekend, there is some risk of that pressure mounting again.
Blake Lawrie is one option to come in against Parramatta next week, given he was left languishing in reserve grade this weekend.
It was also a costly weekend for Canberra prop Josh Papali’i, stung with $6000 in fines after a moment of madness in Canberra’s loss to North Queensland.
The veteran front-rower was charged with a high shot on Sam McIntyre, before also being sanctioned for touching referee Adam Gee as he walked away from the tackle.
with AAP
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/O5Wji74 Judiciary: Mahoney learns fate for twin reports after ‘Bulldogs footy’ excuse, Sitili in strife, Dragons prop banned
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