The Panthers will be left to sweat on the NRL’s Match Review Committee after centre Izack Tago was sent to the sin bin and placed on report for a hip drop just five minutes into Thursday night’s clash with the Rabbitohs.
Tago was sent to the bin and placed on report for a hip drop tackle on 20-year-old fullback Jye Gray, who required heavy strapping on his ankle from that point, and failed to return after half-time.
“He lost his legs, swung around the back, and the weight is directly on his ankle,” Cooper Cronk said in commentary.
“You can’t argue with that,” he added after the referee sent Tago to the bin.
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“You see him come down with all that weight on the outside lower leg of Jye Gray, who knew he had a problem immediately,” Warren Smith added in commentary. “And he’ll have an issue, you’d think, beyond tonight – when the Match Review Committee take a look at that.”
Controversial putdown gifts Souths try | 00:38
The Rabbitohs quickly made Penrith pay for the indiscretion with two tries against the undermanned team, only to make a horror mistake of their own in defence.
As the Panther attack began to gather steam midway through the half, the Rabbitohs gave away three consecutive six-agains while defending near their own tryline.
Cody Walker then gave away a penalty for a high shot, with referee Adam Gee laying down the law to the Rabbitohs over their repeated infractions.
“Three ten metre ones. Another one goes (off for a sin bin),” he announced.
But Souths’ Jai Arrow clearly wasn’t listening, attempting to rip the ball out in a three-man tackle.
Referee Adam Gee hardly had a choice but to give him his marching orders for the illegal steal, sending him to the bin.
Cameron Murray appealed towards the referee, who replied: “You just gave away three on the ten metres, a head-high, and then we go to that. The discipline here is terrible. Fix it!”
Cronk said: “That was so silly from Jai Arrow. They were cautioned, (then) he gave away the penalty.”
He added: “What the hell was Jai Arrow thinking? His team has just got off to a good start against a team that has won three in a row and now they’re standing behind the tryline with a try to the Panthers.”
Source Agencies
