Monday Buzz: Why Sia Soliola’s hit on Billy Slater hurts NRL

PHIL ROTHFIELD: Even in the wild old days, Sia Soliola’s hit on Billy Slater was an immediate send-off. No bunker. No ­argument. No doubt. Just straight off. VOTE IN OUR POLL

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THE NRL recently carried out research among women to find the game’s most popular player.

Melbourne Storm’s superstar fullback Billy Slater won easily.

The good looks, the athletic body, the spectacular skill and the nice-guy image were wooing more women to rugby league than any other player.

The weekend just gone was Women in League round.

It’s been a target audience for the game since the crackdown on shoulder charges, the ban on punches, high shots and fewer bloody and battered faces. Hence the survey.

Yet the player they loved the most becomes the victim of an absolutely sickening act of thuggery in Canberra on Saturday night.

Sia Soliola has been sent straight to the NRL judiciary for his shot on Billy Slater.

Horrible, horrible violence.

Raiders forward Sia Soliola decks Slater with a vicious, late and deliberate high tackle. A champion of the game is barely conscious and lying flat on his back surrounded by medicos.

The TV replays are sickening. Then out comes the stretcher to strap him on. He’s so crook they almost take him to hospital.

This is already a dangerous enough sport without the cheap shots. We crack down on the treatment of concussion yet allow players who recklessly cause it to remain on the field of play.

Even in the wild old days this was an immediate send-off offence. No bunker. No ­argument. No doubt. Just straight off.

At least the NRL match review committee has handed it straight to the judiciary. But that’s not the point.

The player should have been sent from the field on Saturday night in Canberra. Referee Matt Cecchin puts the incident on report and it is play on. The Storm lose their champion and the Raiders stay at full strength.

The perpetrator not only stays on the field but sets up a try. It’s an absolute disgrace.

It is similar to last week when another Canberra forward Josh Papalii shoulder charged St George Illawarra’s Josh Dugan and forced him off the field in another concussion case. No action. The Raiders won.

So here we have a game that sends players to the sin bin for slapping but ignores blatant acts of violence that can cause brain damage.

Social media goes into meltdown mode.

This incident is so serious that refs boss Tony Archer is forced to admit an hour after the game on Saturday night they got it wrong.

NRL referees boss Tony Archer has come under fire again.

“It’s important to note that Sia Soliola is on report and the matter will be addressed by the match review committee,” he said.

“But based on a review of the tackle, the incident did meet the indicators of a send-off.”

Now at 9am Monday the NRL will hold its management review of the weekend.

It happens every Monday morning. They discuss crowds, TV ratings, media coverage, off-field drama, referees or any other issues that may arise from the weekend round.

There’s CEO Todd Greenberg, head of football Brian Canavan, media boss Peter Grimshaw, head of marketing Andrew Abdo, Archer, COO Nick Weeks and a few others.

Archer is a former police prosecutor. He talks well and confidently. Like he used to in court.

Sia Soliola watches on as Billy Slater is stretchered off the field.

Whenever refereeing issues are raised he has a way of convincing others in the room that everything will be right next week. “Don’t worry. Don’t listen to the media. The bunker is fine. Refs are doing a good job.”

Same with Dugan the week before. Blah blah blah blah.

And every week Greenberg falls for it but then at the same time wonders why television ratings are tumbling. Why crowd figures are down yet again.

Hopefully this Slater ­incident will ram home the message.

That our number one bunker official Bernard Sutton stuffed up by not ordering a send-off.

That the refereeing department is the biggest joke in the game. And that it’s driving people away from rugby league. Especially all the women who love — and voted for — Billy Slater.

Originally published as Monday Buzz: Why Sia Soliola’s hit on Billy Slater hurts NRL