NRL Casualty Ward 2021: Roosters’ Victor Radley gamble; Latrell Mitchell facing ban four-game ban
South Sydney has been left irate by inconsistent rulings on high hits as it prepares to fight Latrell Mitchell’s lengthy ban at the NRL tribunal.
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South Sydney are privately fuming about the lack of consistency when it comes to the NRL’s punishment for high tackles that do and don’t cause injury as they prepare to tackle the judiciary over a four-match suspension facing star fullback Latrell Mitchell.
And that will set the backdrop for what’s shaping up as a landmark night for rugby league as it tries to deal with the ongoing crackdown on foul play that has come as a direct result of growing concussion concerns.
The Rabbitohs will join their arch enemies the Sydney Roosters and also Penrith at the judiciary as they fight for a downgrade to Mitchell’s grade two dangerous contact charge for his hit on Wests Tigers David Nofoaluma.
If he gets the downgrade Mitchell will only cop a one-game ban but if he fails he will be out for a month.
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The Roosters are also chasing a downgrade for Victor Radley’s grade two careless high tackle charge on Melbourne’s Cameron Munster that would result in a fine, while the Panthers will go into bat for Paul Momirovski as he tries to avoid a two-match ban for his dangerous contact charge on Brisbane’s Tom Deardon.
Momirovski’s case will kick off proceedings at 6pm followed by Radley at 7.30pm and Latrell at 9pm.
If found guilty, Radley will be suspended for three matches, despite Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi already conceding “there was nothing wrong with (Munster)”.
But this goes to the heart of the Rabbitohs’ frustration given the lack of severity for some other tackles this year that have caused serious injury in some instances.
For instance the Storm’s Felise Kaufusi only copped a two-match ban for the sickening tackle that has sidelined Parramatta’s Ryan Matterson with concussion for four straight games now.
Tyson Frizell also escaped a ban for the tackle that concussed the Gold Coast’s Phillip Sami, while Viliame Kikau’s tackle that could keep Canberra’s fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad out for up to three months and needing surgery on a bulging disc in his neck also went without sanction.
In all of those incidents the sin bin was not used.
While many fans and commentators have suggested Mitchell should have been at least sin binned for his high shot on Nofoaluma, the fact is Nofoaluma was not injured.
Yet Mitchell is now facing a four week ban if he goes down at the judiciary.
Some will argue the severity of the victim’s injuries should not come into the punishment.
But in almost every walk of life that always has a bearing on the degree of penalties.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley could not comment directly on any of the incidents before the judiciary.
But on Monday Annesley spoke in general about the difficulty of getting consistency for punishments on the field in respect to what constitutes a sin bin and a send off, and what doesn’t.
“Consistency means different things to different people,” Annesley said.
“I mean, why do some players get charged with grade ones, some get grade twos, some get grade threes?
“Because the match review committee assess them as different types of incidents.
“The referees have to do that as well, but they have got to do that instantly.
“Even the bunker has to do it in real time.
“The one thing they can’t do is they can’t not make a decision.
“They have to make a decision to either keep players on the field or send them from the field.
“That will always divide opinion.
“It is like a no-win situation for them really.”
EELS BACK MATTERSON DESPITE LENGTHY SIDELINE STINT
—David Riccio, Michael Carayannis
Parramatta are privately confident the career of Ryan Matterson will continue despite yet another lengthy spell on the sideline due to ongoing concussion symptoms.
Matterson has amassed a total of almost three months on the sideline since 2018 due to issues rising from concussion.
He was again absent from the Eels line-up selected to face Canberra on Saturday night with the key backrower suffering from lingering problems related to a head knock suffered in round two.
Matterson was taken from the field in the round two clash against Melbourne when he was knocked out cold in a tackle from Storm star Felise Kaufusi.
It was a controversial tackle given it was Kaufusi’s forearm that was slammed against Matterson’s head as he was hurled to the turf.
Matterson has visited neurologists for regular testing since the tackle and is showing positive signs in his recovery by continuing to train with the Eels squad.
However, he isn’t ready for a return to play.
“Ryan has been ruled out suffering ongoing symptoms of concussion,’’ Eels general manager of football Mark O’Neill said.
“We’ll continue to take the appropriate precautions to prioritise Ryan’s wellbeing and we hope to see him return to the field shortly.”
The 26-year-old has spoken openly about his issues with concussion in the past in a bid to break down the stigma of head knocks among NRL players.
He spoke of suffering from dizzy spells, light and noise sensitivity and sleeping 15-16 hours a day for the best part of two months following a head knock suffered while playing for the Roosters in 2018.
At the time, Matterson revealed to News Corp Australia the extent of his symptoms, which effectively turned him into a recluse.
“I was dizzy, I was really fatigued and I was tired. I remember just wanting to sleep all the time. I wasn’t myself,” Matterson said.
“The sensitivity would be set off by everything. It was lights, it was brightness, it was noise, it was the TV and it was my phone.
“I was sitting at home basically doing nothing in the dark. Training would hurt.”
The Roosters sought the expertise of a neurological specialist to help Matterson recover from the concussion.
An 18th man for the NSW Origin side in 2019, Matterson is key to the Eels fortunes in 2021.
However, the club are adamant that he will only return once his symptoms have subsided.
The Eels’ shrewd off-season recruit Isaiah Papali’i has been deputising in Matterson’s absence.
The NRL will review the Storm’s handling of two concussions on Friday night. Storm duo Harry Grant and Cameron Munster did not require HIA’s after heavy contact during their win against the Roosters on Friday night.
TAUMALOLO SET FOR ANOTHER STINT ON SIDELINES
—Travis Meyn, Peter Badel
The Cowboys have rubbished suggestions that star forward Jason Taumalolo wants out of the club after the North Queensland captain was sidelined again with an uncanny new injury.
Taumalolo’s planned return to the NRL from a broken hand against the Bulldogs at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Sunday has been thwarted by another broken hand.
Taumalolo had recovered from the fracture in his right hand after injuring it at training in the lead-up to Round 2.
But he reported soreness in his left hand after training on Thursday, with scans revealing he had suffered another fracture.
Taumalolo is only expected to miss another one-to-three weeks with his new injury, but it is another blow to the battling Cowboys, who have a 1-4 record.
Taumalolo’s future in Townsville came under the microscope after he was publicly baked by new coach Todd Payten following North Queensland’s Round 1 loss to Penrith.
The duo insist there is no drama between them and Taumalolo is fully committed to the club.
Cowboys football chief Micheal Luck scoffed at suggestions Taumalolo could want out of Townsville by feigning injury after critical comments of him by Payten.
Taumalolo hasn’t played for the Cowboys since Payten took aim at his defence after their opening loss to Penrith.
“It’s got nothing to do with that at all,” Luck said.
“Jason took part in our last session on Thursday and after training he mentioned his other hand was sore.
“We sent him off for scans and it showed a fracture of the third metacarpal bone.
“It’s been a tough start for us. Jase and Michael Morgan are number one and two in our salary cap and Jase has played one game and ‘Morgo’ has retired.
“We were looking forward to having Jase back but in his absence the other guys will have to step up like they have with his first injury.
“There is no other issue with Jase other than injury. When it rains it pours.”
Taumalolo, 27, is contracted to the Cowboys on a record 10-year deal until 2027.
He has taken over the club’s captaincy solely following Morgan’s injury-forced retirement last week and is easily North Queensland’s best player.
But his back-to-back hand injuries have been a crushing blow for the Cowboys during a sluggish start to Payten’s stint at the club.
DRAMA AT ROOSTERS
— NRL Physio
The Roosters’ injury list continues to grow losing star front rowers Sio Siua Taukeiaho and Jared Waerea-Hargeaves to rib and shoulder injuries respectively.
Thankfully after initial fears he may have suffered a fracture, scans on Taukeiaho’s ribs came back with a “moderate rib cartilage injury”. With no mention of fracture this is obviously good news, with the main issue moving forward being pain management.
Rib cartilage injuries are notoriously one of the most painful a player can suffer, but have minimal risk of longer term or permanent damage. Pain killing injections are commonly used along with a chest guard/padding, with the main concern on return an aggravation of symptoms if a blow is sustained to the same spot. Most players are able to return within 1-3 weeks.
Waerea-Hargreaves will have scans after a shoulder injury limited him to just 3 minutes in the second half. With an initial diagnosis of a “shoulder capsule injury”, this can include many different issues with a range of recovery possibilities.
Ryan Papenhuyzen is in some doubt for the Storm’s ANZAC Day clash after suffering a minor AC joint injury in the win over the Roosters. The star fullback was seen clutching at his left shoulder multiple times during the game, and left the field holding his arm in a sling like position which is typical for an AC joint injury.
Thankfully players commonly play through AC joint issues, as there is minimal risk of permanent long term damage.
The main challenge is getting pain under control to allow the shoulder to function, which shouldn’t be too much of a challenge with a minor sprain. Even if Papenhuyzen is forced to sit out a week he would be odds on to return in Round 8.
Ronaldo Mulitalo is facing a nervous wait over the next 3-6 weeks as he misses game time in an effort to settle an ongoing knee injury. Scans revealed a “divot” in the cartilage in Mulitalo’s knee suffered two weeks ago, which was causing increasing levels of pain and swelling. The period in rehab will be an effort to settle these symptoms and gradually build his exposure to training load, but if this fails surgery is the likely option. This is a significant procedure, with a six month recovery period. Hopefully for Mulitalo and the Sharks the next month goes well.
Hymel Hunt may be missing for a few weeks after suffering a hamstring injury. Whilst it did look minor in nature as he was able to stay on the field for a few sets before coming off, the high recurrence rate of hamstring injuries usually dictates a best case two week return to play even for minor strains.
Originally published as NRL Casualty Ward 2021: Roosters’ Victor Radley gamble; Latrell Mitchell facing ban four-game ban
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