NRL fans divided as Anthony Milford and Ryan Papenhuyzen learn their fates for wayward tackles
- Players had contrasting fortunes at the Match Review Committee
- NRL fans have questioned the consistency of the judging process
- Several other players were lucky to escape with fines as well
NRL fans have questioned the consistency of the Match Review Committee after Dolphins utility Anthony Milford and Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen had contrasting fortunes following botched tackles.
Milford was given the chance to redeem himself in the first grade against his old club, the Brisbane Broncos, on Friday evening after coming on as a substitute following an injury to fullback Hamiso Tabui-Fidow.
However, it quickly became a night to forget, with the Dolphins being defeated 28-14 by their crosstown rivals and Milford being booked for a nasty tackle on Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh.
The MRC has cracked down on the 2015 grand finalist, with Milford facing a two-match ban for dangerous conduct after his 37th-minute strike was classed as a grade 2 offence.
He faces a two-match suspension, with an early guilty plea increasing to three matches if he contests the charges and is found guilty by the jury.
Milford had a night to forget as the Dolphins were beaten by crosstown rivals Brisbane Broncos and he was placed on report for tackling Reece Walsh without the ball.
Milford’s suspension hurts the Dolphins, who are already looking at life without injured fullback Hamiso Tabui-Fidow for the foreseeable future
Most NRL fans condemned Milford for the tackle, calling it a ‘dog shot’ and wondering why he didn’t also sin.
“There should have been 10 in the trash and reported,” one fan wrote.
‘Tackling someone who never got the ball, it was clear he was just trying to illegally harass the opposition’s star player. The ball was a mile away, excessive force. Pretty awful stuff,” another added.
‘That was stupid. Reece was nowhere near the ball. MILF lost the plot.” I posted another one.
However, Storm fullback Papenhuyzen has escaped with just a fine despite being charged for a hip drop tackle on Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr.
The incident went unpunished on the field and Papenhuyzen was fined $750 by the MRC for his actions.
“Ryan Papenhuyzen got it very wrong with Josh Addo-Carr,” Fox League analyst Yvonne Sampson said after the match.
Mick Ennis replied: “It’s so hard, he comes across, there’s no malice in that at all.
Many NRL fans have wondered why Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen was given such a lenient punishment as the league cracks down on hip drop tackles
It was a mixed evening for Papenhuyzen, who was found guilty of professional misconduct in an unrelated incident
“He’s trying to save the try there because if Addo-Carr had gotten on his outside (he would have scored). He just loses his legs, lands on the back of his leg, it’s a hip drop.’
And fans were shocked by the leniency of the punishment, especially with the NRL cracking down on hip drop tackles.
‘I wonder what the punishment would have been if it had been Victor Radley? I didn’t even get 10 in the trash. The inconsistency of the referee, the bunker and the judiciary is next level,” one NRL fan asked.
‘So hip drop tackle is allowed if you’re an NRL star. NRL doesn’t care about the welfare of the players at all,” groused another supporter.
‘LOL [Wests Tigers half] Lachie Galvin gets 2 weeks as a rookie. Make sure it makes sense,” another added.
Storm teammates Reimis Smith (Careless High Tackle) and Alec MacDonald (Dangerous Contact) also face fines.
Bulldog Sam Hughes was charged with Class 1 dangerous contact and faces an $1,800 fine for a second offense.
Broncos forward Jordan Riki has been charged with a Grade 1 Careless High Tackle violation and will be fined $1,000 if he pleads guilty early. The fine will increase to $1,500 if he contests the charges and is unsuccessful.