BY KANE AUSTIN
The Sydney Roosters and their star prop Siosiua Taukeiaho are on their way to League Central on Tuesday night to fight a Grade One Careless High Tackle charge. The fact that the Roosters have to even waste their time is jaw-dropping.
Taukeiaho was sin-binned and placed on report by referee Ashley Klein for making high contact on Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary in Friday night football at Panthers Park.
The only problem is, nobody in their right mind believe Cleary should have received anything other than a penalty on the night.
Even under this current, mind-boggling crackdown, Taukeiaho’s attempted tackle on the Panthers playmaker was at the lowest of the scale when it comes to ‘high shots’.
Good to see the Roosters challenging the NRL on this.
If found guilty by the judiciary, the Roosters tyro will receive a small fine.
Won’t even miss a game.
The rugby league world went into meltdown again in round 15 when Cleary slipped in the wet in the 23rd minute.
Taukeiaho could do nothing.
It came after Reece Robson was sin-binned for another howler in the earlier match in Townsville.
That decision potentially lost the Cowboys the match against Cronulla.
For all the talk of looking after player welfare and their futures post-career, where were the officials when Cleary stayed on the field and kept playing?
Nobody sent Cleary to the HIA.
“The Sydney Roosters have elected to enter a plea of not guilty in relation to the Grade One Careless High Tackle charge on Siosiua Taukeiaho,” the Roosters posted on their website on Monday.
“The hearing will be held on Tuesday night at Rugby League Central.”
Roosters coach Trent Robinson was frustrated after the match in his press conference.
“I don’t know where Siua was supposed to go,” Robinson said.
“Is he supposed to jump out of the way? I’m interested in what was he supposed to do.
“Ashley [Klein] was fine with it and then the bunker decides to jump in again, now we’ve got two referees on the field again?
“Ashley looked at it on the replay and they said ‘no you’ve got to send him off’.”
Never have so many rival fans been behind the Roosters.