NRL 2023: Clint Gutherson handshake snub after Eels win over Wests Tigers
After Parramatta’s dramatic win over Wests Tigers, the mood turned sour as Eels captain Clint Gutherson and rival Asu Kepaoa clashed in an ugly post-script to the game.
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Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens described a shattering third season-ending ACL injury for star player Adam Doueihi as a “nightmare.”
And Sheens quickly rallied around his gutted fullback, Charlie Staines, who killed off his team’s late resurgence by fumbling an Eels drop out on the full.
In a dramatic aftermath to Monday’s match, won 28-22 by Parramatta, Wests Tigers winger Asu Kepaoa aggressively shoved away the handshake offer from Eels full-back’s Clint Gutherson at full-time.
WATCH THE INCIDENT IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
Doueihi crumpled to the Accor Stadium turf untouched late in the game with doctors quickly suspecting an ACL, meaning he will not play for more than a year.
His parents, who attended the game, were visibly upset. Doueihi previously injured his ACL in 2018 and 2021.
“It’s an ACL, same knee. Given the narrowness of the game, the loss and the contribution that he put in, he’s pretty disappointed,” said Sheens.
“Ask me (how I feel) tomorrow when I wake up and realise it wasn’t a dream or a nightmare.
“If it is an ACL, it could be more than that (a year). The doctor is pretty sure but we will know tomorrow or the next day.”
Asked about Doueihi, Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau said: “Obviously we feel very sorry for Adam. He is a huge part of this team. Unfortunately it is one of those things that happen in rugby league.
“The boys will get around him and make sure he has support. He is going to be feeling down for a while.”
Behind 22-6 in the second half, Wests Tigers vigorously recovered but Staines unfortunate mistake - with the score 22-20 – killed off his side’s momentum.
Adam Doueihi off with left knee injury, same knee he has 2 past ACL reconstructions. Most significant concern here by video is ACL re-rupture: non-contact landing mechanism & appears to be some shift in the knee. Best case hope for meniscus injury/bone bruise, fingers crossed 🤞 pic.twitter.com/uokRmMux40
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) April 10, 2023
Tigers confirm assessments suggest Adam Doueihi has suffered an ACL injury, the 3rd of his career to his left knee. Unfortunately hands on tests from medical staff very accurate in these cases. Would be facing surgery & 9+ months recovery. Just horrible news, thoughts with him
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) April 10, 2023
Staines was bitterly disappointed on the field.
“Footy players don’t blame each other and coaches worth their salt won’t blame the players either on those things,” Sheens said.
“He has great hands. He just took his eye off the football momentarily because of the sideline and it beat him. But that doesn’t say we were going to win the game.
“He (Staines) was in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately for the line drop out mistake, no-one was going to say we were going to score off that. He’s disappointed himself.
“We made a lot of errors in and around the game that changed the game. You can’t always blame one thing.
“The players will do the same thing (and comfort Staines). Everyone has things in their games that they wish didn’t happen. There are hidden errors – missed tackle, a knock on, when we had options.”
Koroisau also defended Staines.
“Obviously it was tough in that situation,” Koroisau said. “Chasing points and that happens. But we made plenty of other errors in the game and we gifted them so many points in that first half.”
Wests Tigers centre Brent Naden will have X-rays on Tuesday for a shoulder injury. There were initial fears it could be a cracked collarbone.
“That was another one that didn’t help us,” Sheens said.
There was an unconfirmed suggestion that Kepaoa refused to shake Gutherson’s hand in protest at some of the Eels stars’ on-field antics.
TIGERS BLOW EASTER MIRACLE REPEAT
It’s over by April.
Rugby league history clearly shows Wests Tigers’ finals hopes are officially doomed – just six rounds into 2023. Have the hopes of fans ever been crushed by Easter?
No team in 115-years of Australian rugby league has started a season with six successive losses and fought back to reach the finals.
And, despite some Easter resilience against Parramatta, Wests Tigers are not showing enough to be the first team to buck that narrative.
A 28-22 loss at Accor Stadium on Easter Monday continued the clubs’ distress and hardship.
Wests Tigers had a fair dinkum crack, undoubtedly. In front of 28,611 fans, the Tigers rallied and counterpunched but without any ultimate joy. Sadly, there’s no reward in rugby league for having a go.
A spirited comeback from 22-6 down was meritorious for a Wests Tigers team abandoned, dismissed and publicly rejected.
The comeback was, at one point, as thrilling as a ride at the adjacent Royal Easter Show.
“We will come back out fighting again,” Sheens said. “That’s the nature of the game. We’re not going to lay down. There is still plenty of football to play,” said Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens.
“This coming week we will be analysing where we are going, what’s happened in the first six rounds and where we need to improve. We will put some work into that.
“Most of the bounces went against us in many ways but I’m very proud of the effort they put in.
“We have been coming back in the second halves really well. I think we’ve only lost about one. Overall we have been resilient coming back at them but giving them the start is always the problem.”
Consecutive losses to Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canterbury, Melbourne, Brisbane and Parramatta have crushed their season and the promising hope that new coach Tim Sheens could rejuvenate the floundering club.
There were some green shoots for Wests Tigers on Monday – but still no win. And winning is everything in rugby league.
These are the damning statistics.
Wests Tigers have never started a season 0-6 since the joint venture began in 2000.
The last time joint venture partner Balmain began 0-6 was 1993 and the last time Wests Magpies started 0-6 was in 1988.
It is the first time Sheens has started 0-6 in his 29 year Australian coaching career.
JACK ATTACK
Balmain legend Garry Jack let his frustration be known pre-game about Wests Tigers’ defence – and one former Wests Tigers premiership-winning player didn’t like it.
“The Tigers, they don’t care about defence. They seem to have lost the plot there. They just want to play this running rugby, throw the ball inside, outside, let it sing, blah, blah, blah,” Jack said.
His comments drew a stern rebuke from ex-Wests Tigers prop John Skandalis, a member of the club’s 2005 grand final winning squad.
Can live with the media kicking us while we are down. But coming from a former player that should be supporting us in these tough times is poor. How about you come and show some love @jimmyjack244 instead of jumping on the Wests Tigers bash up wagon #sheephttps://t.co/h9eO10p1Gd
— John Skandalis (@skando76) April 9, 2023
FAN PROTEST
The fans stood at 12th minute of Monday’s game, as promised.
Only problem was that those on their feet were fans of Parramatta, who scored a try.
A group of Wests Tigers fans had threatened to stand and literally turn their backs on players during play in protest at the club’s recent lack of success.
The fan dissent was scheduled for the 12th minute of play to denounce the club’s failure to play finals footy for the past 12 years.
The only fans standing though in the 12th minute were Eels fans after skipper Clint Gutherson scored the first of his team’s five tries.
There were a ton of Wests Tigers fans there on Monday, God love them.
And a lone fan on the western side of Accor Stadium drew some attention by holding up a painted sign which read in capitals: TIME TO GO PASCOE, a direct shot at Wests Tigers CEO, Justin Pascoe.
FORGOTTEN EEL REVEALS DARKEST DAYS AHEAD OF 569-DAY COMEBACK
—Michael Carayannis
At least once a week Haze Dunster would sit down and pen a quote into his journal. One phrase was repeated; “be patient — everything will work out”.
After 569 days, two operations and tearing three of the four ligaments in his knee Hunster’s patience and persistence will finally be reward when he returns to the NRL.
The Eels winger was one of the hard luck stories last year. His 2022 ended and he feared for his career when a hip drop tackle from St George Illawarra’s Tyrell Fuimaono left his knee a mangled mess in the pre-season.
Penning his thoughts became some sort of salvation for Dunster who felt disconnected to the game as he watched his teammates rise to grand finalists last year.
“There were so many thoughts in my mind,” Dunster said. “I didn’t know how to cope so I thought I’d write them all down. That helped me keep those thoughts out of my head and give me a bit of clear space.
“I tried to do it weekly but I would do it whenever thoughts were starting to get in my head. I was struggling to sleep at night. You get bad thoughts so I would lay there and write. I still do it today.
“I used to find a quote and write them after each entry.”
The New Zealand-born Dunster also used the time away from the field to reconnect with his culture. He learnt Maori undertaking weekly lessons.
But his focus never shifted.
“There was a stage where I wasn’t watching any footy at all,” Dunster said. “You get itchy feet watching the boys go out there. The ‘what-ifs’ when the boys made the grand final.
“The boys got around me when I was able to go out. I trained really hard with Ray Stone who was going through something similar. I focused on my upper body.”
Dunster received medical clearance to return to full training after Christmas. Much to his frustrations though the medical staff held him back.
They have eased him back into rugby league –— playing half a game in NSW Cup in round one before playing out the full game in the past three weeks.
“I was filthy because I felt I could play in the trials but the medical staff know more than me,” Dunster said. “It was in the back of my mind when I was coming back if I’d be the player I was again. “It was a confidence thing. Each training I felt more confident. (coach) Brad (Arthur) kept asking me when I’d be ready to play NRL. The first game I cramped badly.
“When he told me I was in I knew I was ready to go again.”
Dunster visited his junior club Wentworthville last week as part of Parramatta’s junior league club blitz. He had a simple message to the youngsters.
“Injuries are normal and you can find your way back,” Dunster said. “This was my first major injury. I told them to stay busy and stay in a good head space.”
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