‘What are we becoming?’: Send off divides NRL

Wests Tigers centre Justin Olam is looking astatine a lengthy spell connected the sidelines aft being sent disconnected for a precocious changeable connected Cowboys 2nd rower Heilum Luki successful North Queensland’s 48-30 triumph connected Thursday night.

In what is becoming a concerning inclination for Benji Marshall’s side, who person been nary alien to having players misdeed binned oregon sent disconnected successful 2024, Olam was the latest to beryllium fixed his marching orders.

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On this occasion, Olam levelled retired Luki with a changeable which the Bunker deemed to person a “high level of force” and to person made “direct” interaction with the head.

Referee Chris Butler besides added that Olam had “the full assemblage to purpose at”.

The Tigers were successful the contention astatine the constituent earlier Olam was sent off, lone trailing 20-14, but rapidly fell down by 4 converted tries arsenic the Cowboys took vantage of the one-man overlap.

Speaking successful commentary for Fox League, premiership-winning halfback Cooper Cronk said it was “hard to argue” with the send-off call.

“Heilum Luki, a overmuch bigger subordinate than Justin Olam, helium had aggregate opportunities to tackle Luki successful antithetic spots and it wasn’t similar helium deed him softly, helium deed him with a batch of unit with that close enarthrosis straight to the chin,” Cronk said.

“You can’t reason with that.”

There were immoderate differing views from the NRL satellite though, with Daily Telegraph writer Dean Ritchie supporting the telephone portion erstwhile Panthers guardant Mark Geyer wasn’t impressed.

Ritchie wrote: “Luki’s caput snapped back. In today’s game, that was a nonstop off.”

But Geyer said: “Send off!! WTF!! What are we becoming???”

Discipline has been a large contented for the cellar dwellers with 15 players sent to the misdeed bin already this season, with the Tigers redeeming immoderate of their champion onslaught erstwhile they were down to 12.

The Tigers faithful besides showed their displeasure astatine Stefano Utoikamanu’s exit erstwhile helium received a smattering of boos arsenic helium took the archetypal transportation connected Thursday nighttime astatine Leichhardt Oval.

Bizarrely, they besides gave Olam a lasting ovation aft helium was sent disconnected for an disfigured precocious changeable successful their chaotic 48-30 nonaccomplishment to the Cowboys.

North Queensland’s Valentine Holmes indispensable person heard each the chatter this week astir him being shopped astir to Sydney clubs due to the fact that the seasoned centre coiled backmost the timepiece with 1 of his champion performances of the season.

After an underwhelming Origin campaign, Holmes bounced backmost successful a large mode with a try, 2 assists, six goals and six tackle busts arsenic North Queensland’s near borderline tore the Tigers to shreds.

Taulagi besides had a tract time with a hat-trick, but manager Todd Payten would person been filthy with the tries his broadside conceded against 12 men arsenic their defence clocked off.

Points differential volition determine the apical four, and portion they are successful adjacent 3rd for the clip being, they missed a immense accidental to boost their for and against.

With Martin Gabor, NewsWire

Originally published arsenic NRL satellite divided arsenic Tigers prima Justin OIam successful blistery h2o aft arguable send-off