NRL 2020: Kalyn Ponga, Wade Graham, Reagan Campbell-Gillard among stars walking fine judiciary line
Only one finals club doesn’t have players walking a fine judiciary line heading into the finals. The list of nervous transgressors includes a superstar fullback, the nucleus of a powerful pack and an in-form five-eighth. SEE WHO’S THERE.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
These are the champion players nervously walking the NRL’s finals tightrope.
One small mistake could lead to giant consequences.
News Corp can reveal the list of star players entering this year’s final series with carry-over points from prior offences. One slip-up, one swinging arm, accidental shoulder charge, striking or dangerous contract charge could push them beyond 100 points and possibly end their premiership dream through suspension.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership. Watch every game Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
MORE NRL NEWS
Buzz: Give Gower his robbed Dally M Medal
Stuart loses it on day of drama
The list includes Nathan Brown, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Angus Crichton, Kalyn Ponga, Dane Gagai, Wade Graham, Viliame Kikau, Liam Knight, Jarome Luai, Chad Townsend, Jayden Su’a and Dale Finucane.
Brown and Campbell-Gillard form the nucleus of Parramatta’s powerful pack while Kikau is the steamroller pushing Penrith toward grand final history. The in-form Luai also has carry-over points.
A crackdown on the new hip-drop tackle — where a player drops his body weight onto the back of a player’s lower body, usually as third-man in – also has referees and match review committee prowling for indiscretions.
“It’s that time of year when players have to be particularly careful,” former NSW captain and coach Laurie Daley said. “One slip-up now and it could mean missing a big game through suspension. You’d be gutted.
“They have all had challenging and difficult seasons so no-one wants to be rubbed out of the big end-of-season games which they have worked so hard to play in. One suspension to a key player could have a huge bearing on who wins this year’s grand final.”
Other players had carry-over points this season but have worked them off through clean behaviour. A player has five points deducted from his carry-over tally for each match completed without being convicted of another offence.
Carry-over points only last 12 months from the date of the offence.
The match review committee will be under pressure in coming weeks knowing their decisions could have a major impact on the eventual premiers.
Parramatta’s Junior Paulo was the latest player charged with the new hip-drop tackle when issued with a grade-one dangerous contact charge by the NRL match review committee.
Paulo will avoid suspension with an early plea for a tackle which left Brisbane player David Fifita with an injured ankle on Friday night.
After the game, a confused Eels coach Brad Arthur said: “There’s nothing in that is there?
“It shouldn’t have even been a penalty, from that penalty there we defended three sets on our line. No, that’s not a penalty, what’s he supposed to do? That’s not the description of the hip drop tackle, no way.”
PLAYERS WHO HAVE CARRY-OVER POINTS
Sharks: Wade Graham, Jackson Ferris, Toby Rudolph, Briton Nikora, Chad Townsend
Rabbitohs: Dane Gagai, Liam Knight, Mark Nicholls, Jayden Su’A
Eels: Nathan Brown, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Andrew Davey
Knights: Kalyn Ponga, Edrick Lee, Chris Randall
Panthers: Viliame Kikau, Jarome Luai
Storm: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Dale Finucane
Roosters: Angus Crichton
Originally published as NRL 2020: Kalyn Ponga, Wade Graham, Reagan Campbell-Gillard among stars walking fine judiciary line