Eel set for another lengthy ban, Piakura in the clear, spine woes worsen with Tiger banned for ref push




Parramatta second-rower Kelma Tuilagi has been offered a three-game ban for a 79th-minute crusher tackle that enraged future Eels teammate Jack de Belin.

A fracas erupted when Tuilagi bent St George Illawarra forward de Belin awkwardly in a tackle during the Dragons’ 34-20 win in Wollongong on Saturday night.

Tuilagi will miss upcoming games against Penrith, Canberra and Brisbane with an early guilty plea, in another blow to a Parramatta side already without Mitch Moses.

He risks missing a fourth game, against Melbourne, by challenging the charge.

Prop Jack Williams can accept a $1000 fine for his high shot on Emre Guler.

Meanwhile Broncos second-rower Brendan Piakura has escaped sanction for the shot that injured playmaker Luke Metcalf’s knee and threw the Warriors star’s season into doubt. Piakura went on report in the second half of Brisbane’s 26-12 win on Saturday for hitting Metcalf after he had passed the ball.

The 26-year-old was unable to continue and will go for scans on Monday once the team is back in Auckland.

The Wests Tigers are set to be without another key member of their spine with fullback Heath Mason facing a one-match ban.

He was placed on report around 15 minutes into the game against Manly, after coming in contact with referee Gerard Sutton, forcing him to the ground as the Sea Eagles attempted to score the try.

The four-pointer was chalked off due to illegal interference on a Tigers’ opponent, but in the aftermath, Mason was placed on report, with his actions deemed more than an accidental bump.

He was slapped with a Grade 2 Contrary Conduct charge by the Match Review Committee and can accept a one-match suspension with an early guilty plea.

It comes just weeks after Parramatta’s Dylan Brown was handed a one-match ban for coming into contact with the same referee during the Eels clash with the Bulldogs on the King’s Birthday weekend.

Already without Apisai Koroisau, Jahream Bula and Jarome Luai the Tigers go into next week’s match against the Sydney Roosters, seriously understrength.

Benji Marshall has even admitted Koroisau’s concussion could impact the Tallyn Da Silva situation and whether Wests Tigers would consider releasing the young hooker mid-season.

Set to leave the Tigers after they decided to keep Koroisau at No.9, Da Silva has until Monday’s June 30 deadline to secure a deal elsewhere if he is to make a mid-season move.

However, any hope of that could now be quashed, after Koroisau picked up a concussion in Friday night’s 28-10 loss to Manly.

The head knock will rule him out of next Sunday’s clash with the Sydney Roosters, potentially making Da Silva a more valuable asset for the Tigers.

Several clubs are known to be interested in the 20-year-old hooker, with Parramatta favourites to secure his services and Manly another option.

Da Silva is contracted to the Tigers until the end of next year, but the club have opted to let the Campbelltown junior walk after keeping Koroisau as their No.9.

NRL rules state all mid-season signings must be completed by June 30, meaning Da Silva could not move on after filling in at No.9 for the Tigers next week.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 01: Assistant Coach Benji Marshall of the Tigers watches on during the warm up before the round five NRL match between Brisbane Broncos and Wests Tigers at Suncorp Stadium on April 01, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Benji Marshall. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Asked if that would impact the Da Silva situation, Marshall suggested it could.

“It’s something we will have to talk about over the weekend,” the Wests Tigers coach said.

“Honestly I don’t know (if he will be at the Tigers next week). that is up to him and his management.

“We will leave that up to them where that lands.”

Da Silva did not get any minutes off the bench in the Tigers’ loss to Canberra last week, before starting on Friday after Jarome Luai’s unavailability prompted a spine reshuffle.

The dummy-half is considered one of the best young hookers in the game, with Anthony Seibold confirming Manly’s interest on Friday night.

“We have spoken to Tallyn, but I have no idea about the timelines,” Seibold said.

“The only thing the club have spoken to him about is next year.”

Koroisau’s concussion comes with the Tigers already set to be without their chief playmaker next week as Jarome Luai will be at the NSW State of Origin camp.

Tristan Hope is the club’s hooker in reserve grade, otherwise another reshuffle could be required if Da Silva moves before the end of Monday.

The Tigers have now lost six games straight, with Marshall admitting ladder pressure was starting to tell after a good start to the season.

“If I am looking at it performance wise, yeah, sure we’ve improved. But the results are damning a bit,” Marshall said.

“We’ve improved. But while a lot of people probably expected us to still be at the bottom of the table, we expected a lot more from ourselves.

“A couple of results here or there that maybe could have gone our way, we’re still learning how to win those.

Newcastle lock Phoenix Crossland was the only other player charged by the MRC from Friday’s two games, for a high shot on Canberra Raiders forward Corey Horsburgh, but only faces a fine of $1800-$2500.

– with AAP



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