Penrith five-eighth Jarome Luai has received his penalty after being put on report for a shoulder charge in the Panthers’ 26-6 win over the Melbourne Storm. During the intense match, Luai made contact with Storm player Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s head with his shoulder in the 47th minute. The NRL Match Review Committee examined the incident and Luai was charged with a grade-one careless high tackle. However, Luai may avoid a suspension by accepting a $3000 fine with an early guilty plea. Luai’s coach, Ivan Cleary, referred to the incident as a clash between a “little fly” (Luai) and a “big giant” (Asofa-Solomona).
Gold Coast prop Moeaki Fotuaika also faced consequences after being sent off during the Titans’ 28-18 loss to the Warriors earlier on Friday. Fotuaika made high contact with Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, causing him discomfort and disorientation. The incident led to Fotuaika receiving a grade-two careless high tackle charge. If he pleads guilty, he will miss one match, but if he chooses to fight the charge and loses, he risks sitting out for another week. Titans interim coach Jim Lenihan believed a sin bin would have been a sufficient punishment and thought the decision to send Fotuaika off was harsh. Prior to round 23, only one player had been sent off this season, and Lenihan stated that there had been no warning from the NRL about a crackdown on such incidents.