Sea Eagles prop Toafofoa Sipley has copped a four-game ban after he was referred directly to the NRL judiciary for a hip-drop tackle.
Tha Manly forward was sin-binned for the tackle on Mat Feagai in the 52nd minute of Thursday’s clash at Brookvale and the Dragons winger limped from the field and played no further part in his team’s 20-18 win.
Scans revealed he suffered a suffered a fibula fracture and high-grade syndesmosis injury and he may not play again this season.
Sipley pleaded guilty at the judiciary hearing but said he had been dazed after connecting with Feagai’s shoulder.
Judiciary panel members Greg McCallum and Tony Puletua meted out a four-game suspension which took into account the fact that he had entered a guilty plea.
Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans said post-match Sipley “might have been concussed and then lost his legs” while making the tackle.
“It looks pretty accidental from what I saw,” he said.
Manly had their misery compounded during the match with injuries to Nathan Brown (shoulder), Jake Trbojevic (concussion) and Tommy Talau (leg).
The trio will miss the round-eight clash with Penrith.
Referee Peter Gough sends Toafofoa Sipley to the sin bin. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
In other judiciary news, Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny has been banned two matches after being charged by the match review committee for dangerous contact on Roosters forward Nat Butcher.
Kenny brought Butcher down in the fourth minute with a hip-drop tackle which damaged his opponent’s knee and he limped off a short time later, which angered Roosters coach Trent Robinson and skipper James Tedesco.
“It was pretty disappointing, nothing was mentioned,” Robinson said. “There’s no confusion. It’s pretty clear.”
“I don’t know if it was looked at by the Bunker or referees, but nothing was said or done,” Tedesco added.
Broncos hooker Billy Walters was hit with a fine of $1000 for a crusher tackle in their loss to the Warriors while Roosters prop Naufahu Whyte received the same punishment for a high shot on Panthers front-rower Lindsay Smith.
Four players were fined from Sunday’s games with Sharks duo Teig Wilton and Cameron McInnes charged with dangerous contact, Knights winger James Schiller and Titans forward Klese Haase making careless high tackles.
Meanwhile, Storm duo Tui Kamikamica and Ryan Papenhuyzen, Bulldogs forward Viliame Kikau and Souths prop Davvy Moale were charged for offences on Good Friday but have escaped bans.
Kikau and Kamikamica were pinged $1800 for careless high tackles, Moale and Papenhuyzen have been fined $1000 for dangerous contact charges.
