‘He’s very fortunate he hasn’t got a broken jaw’: Match review committee whacks Justin Olam for high shot on Heilum Luki

The Wests Tigers could be without one of their most experienced players for the rest of the season after the match review committee charges dropped this morning.

Justin Olam is facing up to a four-match ban after the match review committee came down hard on him for a high shot. Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images

Justin Olam’s season could be over with the Wests Tigers centre facing up to a four-match ban after he was hit with a grade 3 careless high tackle charge for his high shot on Heilum Luki on Thursday night.

The veteran centre will miss three weeks with an early guilty plea but will be ruled out for four matches if he fights the charge and loses at the judiciary.

The Tigers have four more games this season and a bye as they look to avoid a third wooden spoon in as many years, with Olam’s experience on the left edge to be a huge loss in a very young team.

It will be interesting to see what the Tigers do given coach Benji Marshall didn’t think the former Storm star deserved to be sent off for the 49th minute incident.

The Cowboys then raced in three quick tries against 12 men.

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“I’ve got a group of guys in there who are feeling pretty down about it,” Marshall said after the 48-30 loss.

“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.”

Cowboys coach Todd Payten saw it very differently.

“He’s very fortunate he hasn’t got a broken jaw. He flushed him right on the end of his chin. Helium’s a big body, I don’t think Justin’s that big,” he said.

“I thought it was the right call. I said it initially, straight in the box. I don’t know how the referees missed it right in that very moment. It had to be referred to by the Bunker (but) there’s a touchie right there and the referee called play on.

“I thought it was the right call in the end.“

Luki came off for a HIA after Olam whacked him across the chin but was fine in the sheds when asked about the tackle.

“I feel fine, I think he got me in the neck,” the North Queensland forward said.

“I didn’t actually see him after the game but it’s all good. It’s in the game. Things happen, it happens fast. It’s all good.

“My head’s fine, nothing like that (concussion). He actually got me in the neck, so it’s all good.

“As soon as I caught the ball I sort of turned out and he hit me. It was a bit of a shock but it’s all good.

“He hit me pretty hard. Whatever the ref wanted to call, it’s his decision.”