NRL 2024: Justin Olam sent-off as Cowboys win 48-30 over Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers star Justin Olam’s season could be over after he was whacked with a massive suspension for a high tackle on Thursday night.
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Wests Tigers centre Justin Olam will play just one more game this year after being whacked with a three match ban after being sent-off on Thursday night.
Olam was hit with a grade three careless high tackle charge for his tackle on North Queensland’s Heilum Luki in the 50th minute during the Tigers’ 48-30 loss.
An early guilty plea will rub the PNG international out for three games but if he fights the charge and loses then his season will be over.
The Tigers have a round 26 bye meaning even with an early guilty plea Olam won’t be able to return to the field until their final match of the season against the Eels.
That match could be important though with the winner potentially avoiding the wooden spoon.
The struggling Tigers have already been hit with a stack of injuries. Alex Twal is in doubt to play Newcastle next week after dislocating his finger. Young half Latu Fainu will be unavailable because of the concussion rules.
Dolphins bound winger Junior Tupou is due back in NSW Cup this week after a long lay-off.
Tigers coach Benji Marshall has the option of shifting skipper Api Koroisau from hooker to the halves to replace Fainu or he could recall Jayden Sullivan.
COWBOYS TO SLICK FOR WESTS TIGERS
– Martin Gabor
Departing prop Stefano Utoikamanu received a smattering of boos as he took the first carry on Thursday night before the Leichhardt Oval faithful bizarrely gave Justin Olam a standing ovation after he was sent off for an ugly high shot in their wild 48-30 loss to the Cowboys.
Utoikamanu’s decision earlier in the week to leave the club was the latest hammer blow for a team that is staring down the barrel of its third wooden spoon in a row, and things are only going to get worse with Olam set to feel the wrath of the match review committee for a reckless tackle on Heilum Luke in the second half.
With his side down 20-14, the veteran centre rushed out and smacked the towering edge forward across the chin and was promptly marched by referee Chris Butler with 31 minutes to play.
“High level of force, direct to the head,” the referee said before he sent him off.
Discipline has been a major issue for the cellar dwellers with 15 players sent to the sin bin already this season, with the Tigers saving some of their best attack when they were down to 12.
“I’ve got a group of guys in there who are feeling pretty down about it,” Benji Marshall said.
“I guess the easy thing for me to do would be to come out and say it was a bad decision and that he got it wrong and that a sin bin would have sufficed because we’ve seen plenty of those this season.
“But I’m not going to say that.”
They have plenty of other concerns with Utoikamanu likely to end up at the Bulldogs or Storm after he turned down a lucrative offer from the Tigers, with the young prop managing just 96 metres on Thursday.
Justin Olam has been sent off the field! 👀
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COACH KILLERS
Benji Marshall will soon follow his coaching brethren and start losing his hair if his team continues to come up with the same basic mistakes every week.
It started with the experienced Olam spilling the ball in the opening set and then got ugly when Utoikamanu and Lachlan Galvin threw unnecessary offloads that cost them 20 metres and then possession when Api Koroisau knocked on.
The Cowboys made them pay immediately when Murray Taulagi collected a grubber to score, and the winger had his double a few minutes later after the Tigers were penalised while in possession.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, they failed to find touch from a penalty, with Scott Drinkwater strolling over two plays later.
Jahream Bula provided some moments of magic with a slashing try either side of halftime, but things look bleak for the wooden spoon favourites who also lost young half Latu Fainu to a head knock in the first half.
BETTER HOLMES AND MARGINS
Valentine Holmes must have heard all the chatter this week about him being shopped around to Sydney clubs because the veteran centre wound back the clock with one of his best performances of the season.
After an underwhelming Origin campaign, Holmes bounced back in a big way with a try, two assists, six goals and six tackle busts as North Queensland’s left edge tore the Tigers to shreds.
Taulagi also had a field day with a hat-trick, but coach Todd Payten would have been filthy with the tries his side conceded against 12 men as their defence clocked off.
Points differential will decide the top four, and while they are in equal third for the time being, they missed a huge chance to boost their for and against.
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