Debate has erupted over Tolu Koula’s tackle on Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, with veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield claiming the Roosters enforcer elbowed his opponent.
Koula left the field only 10 seconds into the Sea Eagles 40-16 loss to the Roosters, going down in ugly fashion after attempting to tackle the Tricolours prop.
Waerea-Hargreaves wasn’t placed in report for any foul play, but Rothfield was of the belief the Kiwi international’s actions should have been analysed by the match review committee.
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“Have a look at his elbow, bang, lifted it,” Rothfield said.
“I don’t want him suspended, I think because of the incident… for goodness sake, I didn’t want him suspended, I wanted him put on report.”
Rothfield likened the tackle to that of Reed Mahoney on Titans superstar Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, whose elbow collected his opponents chin during the 2023 season.
The Gold Coast skipper was hit with a grade one dangerous contact charge and fined $1800 for the incident, which Rothfield labelled “similar”.
He also called for Waerea-Hargreaves to be handed a concerning act notice, but Rothfield was met with disagreeance by league legends Gorden Tallis and Braith Anasta alongside The Australian’s Brent Read.
“Play on, he got his head in the wrong spot, I don’t have any issue at all. I think Tolu made an error, tried to put on a hit and got his head in the wrong spot,” Read said.
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Meanwhile, Anasta said: “Where’s the elbow raised? He hits his shoulder”.
For Tallis, Koula’s head knock simply came down to poor tackling technique, putting his head on the wrong side of Waerea-Hargreaves body.
“That’s a left shoulder tackle, that’s actually a left shoulder tackle from where his position is… he gets himself (in the wrong position),” Tallis said.
“I reckon you can brace it, I don’t think you can lift it up.”
He also was of the belief forwards using their arms as ‘bumpers’ was simply a part of rugby league, having utilised the technique himself across his 214 first grade games.
“That, sadly, is part of our game, the big guys stop taking their weapons off him,” Tallis said.
“That’s like saying to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, ‘you run too fast so you can’t do it’. Big guys are allowed to run aggressively.”
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