NRL 2022: Jason Taumalolo fires up at judiciary system as ban puts dent in Tonga’s World Cup bid
Cowboys star Jason Taumalolo has slammed the NRL judiciary system as he braces for a suspension that will rattle Tonga’s World Cup campaign.
NRL
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A frustrated Jason Taumalolo has taken aim at the NRL judiciary system as the Cowboys superstar braces for a suspension that has dealt a blow to Tonga’s World Cup campaign.
Taumalolo was hit with a grade-two dangerous contact charge by the NRL’s match-review committee for a high shot on Eels rival Isaiah Papali’i in the Cowboys’ 24-20 preliminary-final loss on Friday night.
Taumalolo will miss three games with an early-guilty plea for an incident that would have seen him miss the NRL grand final if the Cowboys managed to win through to the decider.
Should he opt to fight the charge at the judiciary and fail, the Cowboys co-captain will serve a four-match suspension.
Taumalolo’s previous record of on-field indiscretions was a factor in the proposed suspension, which could have been more severe had the NRL match-review committee deemed his tackle a shoulder charge, rather than dangerous contact.
Regardless, the decision has major repercussions for Taumalolo’s international side Tonga, who will be without the 115kg wrecking ball for two of their opening three pool games against PNG and Wales at the World Cup.
Taumalolo is expected to lodge an early-guilty plea and the Tongan torpedo vented his fury at the NRL’s sanctioning process, arguing players should not miss Test matches for offences that occur at club level.
The former Dally M player-of-the-year believes his likely three-match ban should be served in the Cowboys’ opening three matches next season, leaving him free to play in the World Cup.
“I have truly missed playing for Tonga and I am concerned that this suspension will interrupt my World Cup campaign,” Taumalolo said in a statement via his management.
“This could be my last World Cup for Tonga and I don’t want to let my teammates nor our fans down. I don’t believe I should miss out on Test matches for Tonga because of something I did playing for the Cowboys.
“I like how the (English) Premier League soccer works, where you are penalised for any indiscretion in that competition, not across other competitions.
“My suspension should count towards NRL games for the Cowboys, not penalising me for international matches at the World Cup.”
The impending loss of Taumalolo could derail the World Cup hopes of Tonga, who were semi-finalists at the last international tournament in 2017.
The 29-year-old is set to miss Tonga’s warm-up hitout against France and Mate Ma’a’s opening group games against PNG and Wales before returning for the final pool match against Cook Islands.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf will be hoping his side can beat the Kumuls and Wales without Taumalolo to have his star forward back on deck for the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Taumalolo’s former national team New Zealand are taking advantage of an NRL suspension loophole to ensure front-row enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is free for the quarterfinals.
Sidelined for three games for a head slam in the Roosters’ finals loss to Souths, Waerea-Hargreaves will sit out the Kiwis’ warm-up game against Leeds and first two pool matches against Lebanon and Jamaica.
Taumalolo is a key strike weapon for Tonga, having played 12 Tests for the second-tier nation since his shock defection from New Zealand on the eve of the 2017 World Cup.
‘Hard to get here’: Cowboys urged to use the pain
-Travis Meyn
Todd Payten has urged the shattered Cowboys to not fall in love with themselves after lamenting North Queensland’s blown opportunity at grand final glory.
The Cowboys fell agonisingly short of a fairytale appearance in next Sunday’s NRL premiership decider after suffering a 24-20 preliminary final loss to Parramatta.
The gripping defeat at a sold-out Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Friday night was the Cowboys’ first finals loss in Townsville in eight play-offs matches at home.
It brought an end to a remarkable season where the Cowboys climbed from 15th last year to the final four and within a whisker of this year’s decider.
The loss was particularly hard to swallow given they did the hard yards in week one of the finals — beating the Sharks in Cronulla in extra-time — to secure a week off and the first preliminary final ever played in Townsville.
The Cowboys led 20-12 after 58 minutes, only for the desperate Eels to score two tries and defend their way to Parramatta’s first grand final since 2009.
While the Cowboys have been admired for their revival, Payten said it was important the young team stayed grounded and used the pain of 2022 to fuel next year’s premiership quest.
“I’ve been proud of our lads for a long time, their attitude and want to get better,” he said.
“We’ve put some respect back in the place. We weren’t supposed to make the finals or out of the bottom four of the whole competition and we were 25 minutes short of a grand final.
“I’m glad with the way we’ve become a team and represented the people of the north in North Queensland style. I want us to have our heads up.
“We’re disappointed, we really are. But we put some respect back into the jersey and club.
“We’ve put a good foundation down. If we don’t fall in love with ourselves moving forward and continue to work hard and want to get better … we will be back here again.
“It’s hard to get here. I know that and that’s what makes the opportunity missed so disappointing.
“But we’ve got an abundance of talent, great kids that work hard, and we need to keep pushing them along and coaching them well.”
Ultimately, it was finals inexperience and losing big moments that cost the Cowboys when their season was on the line.
The majority of North Queensland’s 17 had not experienced finals football before this year while the Eels have been regular play-offs participants, albeit with a poor record before this season.
But it was that finals failure that may have spurred the Eels when it mattered most.
Parramatta’s desperation was there to see when the game was on the line in the dying stages and the Cowboys will be a better team for the experience.
The Cowboys saw Jeremiah Nanai, Tom Dearden, Murray Taulagi and Reuben Cotter become State of Origin players this year in what was a breakout season for many of their players.
They will head into 2022 with mostly the same squad, with Dolphins recruit Tom Gilbert the only notable player departing Townsville in the upcoming off-season.
Co-captain Chad Townsend said the Cowboys had a bright future.
“There is a lot of heartbreak and disappointment, the guys have had an incredible season,” he said.
“We’ve trained hard, enjoyed each other’s company and gave ourselves a chance to compete.
“We’re disappointed because of the opportunity we had and we couldn’t make the most of it.
“We lose Tom Gilbert next year but get Heilum Luki back from injury and the rest of our side is locked in. The club’s done an exceptional job of keeping the local talent.
“Toddy has really brought our squad together from day one. He’s been tough and him and his staff have coached the hell out of our group.
“I just want to give him a bit of a prop because he deserves it. In my eyes he is (Dally M) coach of the year and no-one will change that.”
While this loss will hurt, the Cowboys have the ingredients, and more crucial experience, to be a serious premiership contender in 2023.
PAYTEN RESPONDS TO FORWARD PASS AS COWBOYS COP FINALS LESSON
Cowboys coach Todd Payten says North Queensland was taught a finals lesson following their heartbreaking 24-20 loss to Parramatta on Friday night.
The Eels ended North Queensland’s fairytale season with a gripping preliminary final win at a sold-out Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
It brought an end to a remarkable resurrection for the Cowboys, who finished 15th last year and rocketed into this year’s final four.
The Cowboys were well in the contest in typical Townsville heat, but couldn’t seal the game as Parramatta tackled themselves to their first grand final appearance since 2019.
“To be 12-all at halftime after having Jason (Taumalolo) in the bin was a great effort,” Payten said.
“Parramatta played finals footy. The way they managed that second half was much better than us.
“The way they scrambled was better. That’s the difference between a win and a loss.
“We let in a couple of soft tries which turned the momentum of the game. We kept fighting hard.”
After finishing third in the regular season, the Cowboys produced a thrilling golden point win in week one of the finals to bring a preliminary final to Townsville for the first time.
They got off to a poor start when referee Grant Atkins failed to pick up a Mitchell Moses forward pass and then had Taumalolo binned for a high tackle.
But the Cowboys hung on and got into an arm wrestle with the Eels.
“My first instinct was I thought it was forward but looking back on replay a couple of times, I thought it was pretty tight,” Payten said.
“It happened early enough in the game to get over it. We went in 12-all at halftime and 20-12 after 55 minutes, so we moved on pretty well.”
If not for some poor plays in the second half, they could have been preparing for a third grand final in eight years.
Instead, the Cowboys will begin planning their 2023 premiership assault with what will be a red-hot team.
Co-captain Chad Townsend said the Cowboys just couldn’t get the job done against the experienced and desperate Eels.
“We were losing the field position battle a little bit,” he said.
“We hung in there and gave ourselves a chance at the end.
“There’s a lot of heartbreak and disappointment. The guys had an incredible season.
“We’ve trained hard, enjoyed each other’s company, and gave ourselves a chance to compete.
“We’re disappointed because of the opportunity we had. That’s the thing that’s the hardest at the moment.”
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