‘Legal time bomb’: NRL can’t afford to ignore ‘cheap shot’ drama

The NRL could be facing a ticking time bomb after the rugby league world was left baffled as a repeat offender got off again.

Asofa-Solomona about to drop on Suaalii. NRL Imagery

The NRL has a potential ticking “time bomb” hovering over its head after another inconsistent and baffling weekend of match review rulings.

Veteran Daily Telegraph journalist Phil Rothfield called out Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona after he was handed a $3000 fine for an ugly incident where he appeared to drop his elbow into the head of Roosters winger Joseph Suaalii.

It’s now the 10th time Asofa-Solomona has been found guilty of acts of foul play but the Storm enforcer has been sidelined for just four matches.

It’s led to former Sharks, Panthers and Queensland forward turned neuroscientist studying contact-sport brain injuries Martin Lang to warn the “NRL risks litigation on a grand scale”.

Lang was a forward who ran with little self preservation in his NRL career and was regularly concussed, and claimed “approximately 90 per cent of the concussive episodes I sustained throughout my career were as a result of foul play”, and slammed the punishments as “insufficient”.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona grabs Joseph Suaalii high. NRL Imagery

Asofa-Solomona about to drop on Suaalii. NRL Imagery

Speaking on Sky’s Big Sports Breakfast on Monday, Rothfield doubled down on the Asofa-Solomona incident.

“The NRL I think, and I spoke to Martin Lang yesterday, who is a really intelligent fellow who has studied neuroscience and is conducting research into brain injuries from contact sport,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast

“He raised a really interesting point that the fact that players like Nelson Asofa-Solomona are repeat offenders, have been found guilty of foul play ten times in the last three years, but keeps getting away with fines.

“Lang is of the opinion that there will be litigation on a grand scale, that it is a legal time bomb, further down the track a good lawyer will get hold of a player who is suffering from the after effects of concussion and point out there was not a duty of care while he was playing football.

“That players were continually allowed to get away with this sort of play, I don’t want to be an alarmist but all the statistics are there, this guy, Asofa-Solomona, was fined $3,000 for the disgraceful shot on Suaalii, he was on the ground.

“There was another incident in the game he escaped, he kneed Joey Manu in the head in a tackle.”

This is dreadful…the current penalties are simply not an adequate deterrent.
pic.twitter.com/LoikHT2c08

— Martin Lang (@Martin_Lang11) August 27, 2022

Rothfield continued, questioning other moments he labelled as “blatant acts of foul play”, including an elbow from Cameron Munster that went uncharged and a hip drop tackle from Felise Kaufusi.

Munster not cited as usual. @nrl turns a blind eye yet again https://t.co/PhXnI7DXEz

— michael inman (@mickinman) August 27, 2022

@nrl@TripleM_NRL@NRLonNine@FOXNRL@telegraph_sport@BulldogRitchie 2 Storm tackles back to back that look like hip drops to me, but due to no injury no charge.
THIS GAME IS REALLY BECOMING A JOKE.
You cannot suspend Collins and let these ride. pic.twitter.com/ptQHLGEAFg

— Elliott (@RoosterXIII) August 27, 2022

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the Roosters were furious as their star Lindsay Collins was slapped with a potential four-match ban for a hip drop tackle, but Kaufusi went uncited.

In regards to the Munster drama, former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke agreed the Munster incident was “a cheap shot” but said it should be “a penalty and play on”.

“It’s 100 per cent cheap shot and should be penalised but I don’t think you should be fined or suspended for it,” he said.

“Surely that is not causing concussion or brain damage to anyone. That’s like me having a fight with my sister in the loungeroom. That is nothing.”

This incident prompted the NRL to issue Cameron Munster with a concerning act. Credit: Fox Sports screenshot.

But the ugly incidents are just the tip of the iceberg according to Rothfield as said it was a powder keg ready to explode.

“The inconsistency is just extraordinary,” Rothfield said.

“I agree with Martin Lang, that down the track, I am not saying it is going to happen in the next year or two years, but down the track the NRL is leaving itself open to legal action.

“I used to cover judiciary every week, and I can assure you if any player walked in with the rap-sheet Asofa-Solomona has, for the tackle he did on Suaalii … he would be facing multiple weeks on the sidelines, not a pathetic $3,000 fine.

“These are blatant acts of foul play … it is unacceptable for this c**p on a football field, there is no place in rugby league for what we saw on the field.”

Rothfield said he had no idea why these act were slipping through the cracks.

It’s not the first time Asofa-Solomona was let off over a similar incident.

In round 20, Asofa-Solomona landed in hot water after landing elbow up on Warriors hooker Wayde Egan.

Egan had two cracked teeth in the incident and left the ground clutching his jaw, however he returned later in the match.

Originally published as ‘Legal time bomb’: NRL can’t afford to ignore ‘cheap shot’ drama