Sharks winger escapes injury as Raiders’ Seb Kris sent off, to miss finals for spear tackle

A Canberra Raiders star will miss the NRL finals after he was sent off for an ugly spear tackle that could have ended far worse.

Seb Kris was sent off for a spear tackle on Sione Katoa. Photo: Fox Sports.

The Sharks have secured a home final after they flew home in the second half to beat a Raiders side that could be without Seb Kris until next year after he was sent off for a sickening spear tackle on Sione Katoa in the 24-6 loss.

The match was in the balance with the home side up 10-6 with 21 minutes to go when the game and Katoa were turned on their head.

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Katoa did brilliantly well to reel in an attacking kick but was then tipped onto his head as he tried to get out of the in-goal.

“Dangerous tackle by Kris, he’s landed on his head. Katoa’s catch is fantastic and Kris’s tackle is going to come under some serious scrutiny,” Andrew Voss said on Fox League.

“This is a dangerous tackle, he’s landed on the top of his head, precedent would suggest a send off and I can’t see any other avenue for the referee here.”

“I’m with you Vossy,” Shane Flanagan said.

Katoa was thankfully fine but referee Grant Atkins had no choice but to send the Raiders winger from the field.

The match review committee is set to hand down a lengthy ban on Monday morning that will see Kris miss Canberra’s elimination final against the Newcastle Knights.

That could have ended a whole lot worse. Photo: Fox Sports.

“I didn’t make anything of it, I haven’t seen it again,” Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said when asked about the tackle that saw Kris become the fourth player this season sent off.

“The Seb Kris tackle, it looks bad and there’s no doubt about that but as players you know yourself how easily that tackle happens,” Matty Johns said.

“There’s no doubt that in no way shape or form was it deliberate.”

The Sharks took just one minute to take advantage of the extra man when Braydon Trindall dived on a loose ball but then inexplicably missed the conversion from directly in front to make it 14-6.

The Raiders were already without the suspended Corey Horsburgh after he failed to have his shoulder charge ban overturned at the judiciary, and they will likely lose Kris after he became the fourth player to be sent off in the NRL this year.

BRING ON THE CHOOKS

It’s going to be a case of master vs apprentice in week one of the finals when Craig Fitzgibbon and his plucky Sharks take on Trent Robinson’s Roosters.

Fitzgibbon won a premiership with the Tricolours and was an assistant coach there before he joined Cronulla last year.

The Roosters have won their past five to sneak into the finals but must travel to PointsBet Stadium where they were beaten earlier in the year.

Cronulla’s quest to be the lord of the premiership rings will begin in the Shire at a stadium that hosted just 12,447 against the Cowboys in week one of the finals last year.

It’s not as spectacular as Allianz Stadium, but home ground advantage down south is a real thing with the locals absolutely giving it to Ricky Stuart and his players on Sunday.

They were fairly quiet in a nervy first half, but a brilliant try-saving tackle by Nicho Hynes helped them find their voice before the halfback set up Jack Williams two minutes later to give them the lead for the first time.

It was party time after that with their star wingers both scoring in the corner as the Sharks sealed sixth spot and a chance at redemption after they were bundled out of the finals in straight sets 12 months ago.

Referee Grant Atkins sends Sebastian Kris of the Raiders off. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

AIR JORDAN

Sunday’s loss means the Raiders will have to travel to Newcastle to take on the hottest team in the NRL.

The Knights have won nine on the trot while the Green Machine head into the finals having lost five of their past seven.

They finish the regular season one win clear of the Rabbitohs, Eels and Cowboys who all had a superior points differential, with Canberra finishing up with a lowly for and against of -137.

In a game where everything was on the line, it felt like nothing really happened in the first half apart from a couple of special plays from Jordan Rapana who starred in his milestone match.

The Raiders veteran celebrated NRL game 200 in style, flying above Sharks fullback Connor Tracey to open the scoring inside the opening four minutes with the 100th try of his career.

He almost had a double when he reeled in another Jamal Fogarty kick but lost the ball over the line as he tried to reach out with Hynes around his legs.

It was the closest they went to scoring with Canberra needing a minor miracle next week without star middles Josh Papalii and Corey Horsburgh.

Originally published as Sharks winger escapes injury as Raiders’ Seb Kris sent off, to miss finals for spear tackle