Brisbane hooker Cory Paix has evaded a ban after the NRL match review committee let him off the hook for a dangerous lifting tackle on Raiders counterpart Tom Starling.
Paix dumped Starling on his head as he lifted his opposing hooker well above the horizontal early in the second half of Canberra’s upset win.
When he got up clutching his neck, the Bunker intervened after the referee had not issued a penalty to put Paix on report. Similar incidents in recent years have warranted a sin bin or a straight send-off.
Paix will be fined $1000 with an early guilty plea while teammate Kobe Hetherington will pay $3000 or cop a two-game ban for a crusher tackle on Raiders forward Zac Hosking.
Cory Paix. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Cowboys duo Reuben Cotter (dangerous throw) and Harrison Edwards (dangerous contact) will also be slugged $1000 from their defeat to Cronulla, as well Dragons centre Valentine Holmes for dangerous contact in the loss to Souths.
Bunnies forward Lachlan Hubner has been banned 2-3 weeks for a crusher tackle on Dragons veteran Clint Gutherson.
Roosters forward Salesi Foketi has been banned for Round 3 after a controversial decision to send him to the sin bin late in his team’s stirring win over Penrith.
The rookie was binned for high contact on Panthers forward Scott Sorensen even though the contact appeared to be accidental after the initial impact.
He has been handed a one-game ban and risks doubling the punishment if he unsuccessfully takes on the judiciary.
Manly forward Jazz Tevaga was fined $1800 for contrary conduct for an incident in the final minute of their loss to his former team after he tangled with Demitric Vaimauga.
Newcastle’s depth is in for an early-season test with second-rower Kai Pearce-Paul facing a two-match ban and Leo Thompson expected to miss time with a knee injury.
Pearce-Paul was sin-binned in the second half of Newcastle’s 26-12 win over the Dolphins on Thursday night, after his shoulder collected the head of former teammate Daniel Saifiti. The incident initially went unnoticed on the field, before it was picked up by the bunker.
The match review committee on Friday deemed the hit as a shoulder charge and not a high tackle, given Pearce-Paul’s lack of attempt to wrap his arm in the contact.
The more serious charge means he will miss games against Gold Coast and Canterbury with an early guilty plea.
Around the same time in Thursday’s win, Thompson was substituted from the field with a knee issue and is expected to miss at least the round-three clash with the Titans.
Early reports held that Canterbury’s star recruit for 2026 would miss a month of football but the Knights will formulate his recovery timeline after receiving the results of scans.
Newcastle have the bye in round four, with Thompson’s new club the Bulldogs awaiting the weekend after that. A corked thigh sidelined Jacob Saifiti during the win over the Dolphins but the Knights prop is expected to be available for the trip to the Gold Coast next week.
Newly re-signed local product Brodie Jones is likely to come into the 17 for next week’s game after being listed as replacement player for the Dolphins game.
Uncapped prop Tyrone Thompson is an option to replace his twin brother Leo after the former Super Rugby Pacific forward joined the Knights on a development deal this year.
with AAP
