Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo says it’s “unfair” that Jacob Preston will miss four games for a crusher tackle because of prior but different offences and wants the NRL to reassess the match review system.
What would have been a $1500 fine for his grade-1 crusher tackle on Gold Coast’s Tino Fa’asuamaleaui turned into the monster ban because of two previous grade-1 offences already this season.
Preston was staring at a minimum three-match ban with an early plea, but that became four after he and the Bulldogs lost their fight at the judiciary on Tuesday.
Ciraldo said the offence paled in comparison to other incidents that had drawn four-week bans, and said the way the cumulative effect came into play should be reviewed.
“Obviously, I don’t think Jacob deserved four weeks. We went and fought that and got a fair hearing,” the coach said.
“It is what it is but if you look at the things that have got four weeks in the past, I think it’s a bit unfair for Jacob to get four weeks.
“The first couple (of charges this season) as well, he only took the early guilty plea just to pay the cash and avoid missing a week (under) suspension.
“You end up agreeing to a $1500 fine and try and move on from it, and then a couple of weeks later you’re getting a four-week suspension. I don’t think it’s ideal.”
Preston will miss this weekend’s top-of-the-table away clash against Canberra this Saturday as well as matches against the Sydney Roosters, Dolphins and Parramatta.
Ciraldo said the back-rower was “shattered”.
“(Preston) is pretty shattered, you look at some of the games that are coming up in that period and they’re big games, they’re really important for us as a football club,” Ciraldo said.
Preston won’t play again until after the opening State of Origin game and would then look to press his claims for game two.
He joins suspended teammates Sitili Tupouniua and Josh Curran in missing the clash with the Raiders.
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