‘Clumsy mistake’ that ended Eels star’s season sees ‘high integrity’ Dragon handed monster ban

A remorseful Ryan Couchman has copped a four-match ban for a “clumsy mistake” that has ruled Eels rival J’maine Hopgood out for the rest of the season after scans confirmed an ACL tear as a result of a hip-drop tackle.

Couchman was referred straight to the NRL judiciary by the match review committee where he arrived on Tuesday evening flanked by Dragons officials including coach Shane Flanagan.

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The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to the 28th-minute tackle, with the panel of Greg McCallum and Bob Lindner deliberating for 19 minutes after a 64-minute hearing before they unanimously agreed on a four-match ban.

NRL counsel Lachlan Gyles had asked for a four-match suspension, while defence counsel Nick Ghabar sought a four-match ban with a one-game discount due to the early guilty plea.

“I thank them (the panel) for a fair hearing,” Couchman said.

“I want to apologise to J’maine and wish him all the best in his recovery because I know what it’s like, so I’m behind him.

“I’m obviously disappointed because I won’t be able to be out there with my teammates for four weeks. But I’ll do everything I can to help them prepare for the next few matches and then be out there as soon as I can.

“It can be a tough process (Hopgood’s ACL recovery) but I’m sure he’ll have great support behind him, and I want to extend my support to him.”

A comparable tackle made by Manly’s Toff Sipley last year was used heavily throughout the hearing, with Ghabar arguing that it was “more forceful and careless” and resulted in four matches.

Couchman also received three character references from former players Mick Potter and Tim Grant, as well as from one of his junior coaches.

Potter said he considers Couchman “to be of high integrity” and that “the offence is out of character,” while Grant wrote that the young Dragons forward is “among the highest quality of young men I’ve encountered in the game”.

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Gyles argued the dangerous contact was brought about by a “careless mistake” and that it was important for the judiciary panel to issue a sanction that would be a deterrent to others and could change behaviour.

“Anything less than four weeks doesn’t send a strong enough message to other players. A clear message must be sent to other players that this is something we don’t want in the game,” he said.

Couchman was quizzed by both legal representatives and conceded he lost balance in his legs and didn’t get his feet close enough to the tackle which allowed the Eels forward to burst through.

“My thoughts were to not land on his legs and to land on the ground (instead)” he said, pointing out that his left hand gripped teammate Damien Cook in the tackle, rather than Hopgood.

“I’m trying to land my backside on the ground instead of on his legs.

“My torso lands on his ankle which I understand is a risk of injury. I didn’t mean to put myself in that position, but the weight of my hip and butt is on the ground.”

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Couchman missed almost all of the 2025 season with an ACL injury and made sure he could apologise to Hopgood after good friend and former teammate Jack de Belin told him it was a suspected ACL tear.

“I’m only three games back from an ACL so I went over to apologise and he accepted it,” he said.

Gyles suggested that Couchman should have dropped out of the tackle and that his duty was to protect his opponent, while Ghabar argued that the contact was accidental and that he “didn’t swing his hips violently” before landing on Hopgood’s legs.

Couchman will be free to return in round eight when the Dragons take on the Roosters in the traditional Anzac Day clash.