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Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu has escaped without any charge from the NRL’s match review committee (MRC) for the forearm that sent Warriors hooker Wayde Egan to hospital on Saturday night.
Utoikamanu was placed on report by referee Chris Butler following the first half incident during the Warriors’ unconvincing 30-22 victory at FMG Stadium in Hamilton.
The West Tigers were penalised when in possession after Utoikamanu was deemed to have raised his right forearm into Egan’s throat as the Warriors hooker attempted to make a tackle on the towering prop.
Egan left the field with significant pain in the throat area and was later taken to hospital to be checked over as a precaution.
Tigers captain Api Koroisau required two plates and four screws when his jaw was surgically repaired after he was struck in a similar fashion by Titans prop Tino Fa’asuamaleaui back in round 15.
Bruce Lim/photosport
Warriors hooker Wayde Egan holds his throat following the incident that saw Stefano Utoikamanu placed on report but not charged by the match review committee.
Koroisau was sidelined for five weeks and missed games two and three of this year’s State of Origin series for New South Wales but Fa’asuamaleaui was not penalised on the field, or sanctioned by the MRC.
Following Utoikamanu being placed on report on Saturday night, Koroisau could be heard on Butler’s microphone referencing his own brush with a raised forearm.
“What about my jaw sir?
“I can’t remember what happened last week, let alone then,” Butler replied.
Ironically, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been charged by the MRC with grade one dangerous contact for a similar incident that saw Tigers backrower John Bateman stay down with a throat complaint in the second half before making a quick recovery after the Warriors’ winger was penalised.
The difference between the incidents was Watene-Zelezniak led with a forearm that wasn’t carrying the ball. Utoikamanu’s arm that contacted Egan was the ball-carrying arm, making it less serious as there is more scope for it to be deemed accidental.
Watene-Zelezniak has predictably accepted a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea rather than risk fighting the charge and incurring a $1500 penalty if he was unsuccessful.
Andrew Cornaga/photosport
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored a stunning try for the Warriors but was also placed on report for raising a forearm.
Bateman’s gamesmanship, as he is entitled to do, wasn’t lost on match commentator Glen Larmer.
“Bateman, he’s a clever player,” Larmer said after Watene-Zelezniak was placed on report.
“He knows what was going on right there from the moment that contact around the throat happened.”
Tigers coach Tim Sheens unleashed on the Utoikamanu incident at his post-match press conference and made the bold claim that it didn’t even warrant a penalty.
Sheens also made reference to Fa’asuamaleaui not being sanctioned or penalised for the incident that broke Koroisau’s jaw.
“(Utoikamanu) better not (be cited) after what happened with Api,” Sheens said at the post-match press conference on Saturday night.
“He didn’t hit him in the head at all. He’s gone and had some problems with his breathing.
“All of a sudden it is a penalty, I can’t see why it is a penalty,” Sheens said.
Andrew Cornaga/photosport
Warriors hooker Wayde Egan is helped from the field after his game ended midway through the first half following the contact from Stefano Utoikamanu.
“There was no penalty and there was no suspension when it happened to Api. Why is this now a problem?”
But NRL head of football elite competitions Graham Annesley strongly disagreed with Sheens’ take.
Annesley addressed the Utoikamanu incident – in his weekly briefing on Monday afternoon – and described it as one of a number of occasions over round 24 where match officials were unfairly criticised for correct decisions.
“In terms of the contact with the neck here, whilst it’s not a charge by the match review committee, I have no problem with the referee acting on this and placing it on report for further examination.
“No one is suggesting that this is done deliberately, the contact with the neck, but we’re doing everything we can to try and prevent contact with the head and neck in our game,” Annesley said when showing replays of Utoikamanu making contact with Egan.
“In this particular case, I have no criticism of the officials penalising this and putting it on report.”
Warriors coach Andrew Webster confirmed after Saturday night’s match that Egan was sent to hospital as a precaution but he was expected to be OK.
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