Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona collected a star teammate with some friendly fire and was sent to the sin bin for a high shot all from one tackle in a bizarre passage of play on Thursday night.
During the second half of Melbourne’s narrow win over Penrith, in an attempt to tackle Panthers winger Daine Laurie, a swinging arm from Asofa-Solomona inadvertently hit Cam Munster in the head while also making high contact on Laurie.
To make matters worse for Munster, in addition to the stray arm of Asofa-Solomona, the Storm playmaker also got hit in the face by Laurie’s head, which was positioned between the two Storm players.
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“Oh no. He’s been hit by everything,” Cooper Cronk said in commentary.
“He’s collected Cameron on the side of the head,” Andrew Voss added.
“If Nelson did that to an opponent, he’d be in the sin bin, but his right fist has collected Munster in the head here.
“Swinging arm, bang, bounces off.
“He (Munster) had a nose that went north-south, now it’s gone east-west.”
Munster went straight to the ground and started bleeding from the nose. He and Laurie would both leave the field for HIA’s.
Asofa-Solomona would make three to be forced off the field at once when he was given his marching orders from referee Ashley Klein.
“There’s a duty of care. There’s direct force to the back of the head, you’re off for 10,” Klein said.
“The official in the Bunker has determined that the contact from Nelson has come in high and has collected Munster at the same time,” Cooper Cronk said.
Thankfully, both Laurie and Munster passed their HIA’s and returned to the game after 15 minutes on the sideline.
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