Tim Sheens criticizes Newcastle for taking Tigers star Isaiah Papali’i to match review committee: ‘I don’t like that kind of crap’
- Isaiah Papali’i received a one-game suspension for a tackle on Jack Johns
- The Tigers star was initially left off the charge sheet by the NRL
- But he was charged and expelled after the Knights approached the NRL.
Tim Sheens has criticized Newcastle for reporting Tigers star Isaiah Papali’i to the NRL Match Review Committee.
The Eels’ old pistol was left off the original charge sheet after the Knights won 14-12 at Leichhardt Oval last week.
Newcastle officials subsequently contacted the NRL and Papali’i was ultimately suspended for one game after being given a Grade Two dangerous contact charge for a strike on Knights utility man Jack Johns.
Sheens wasn’t particularly impressed with the development, particularly since the Tigers will no longer have star second line Tommy Talau for Sunday’s game against the Bulldogs.
Talau suffered a broken nose after being picked up by Knights running back Jackson Hastings, and a commissioner had to separate the two after the former Tigers playmaker sought to apologize after the game.
Tim Sheens has lashed out at Newcastle for reporting Isaiah Papali’i to the NRL
The Tigers star was handed a one-game suspension for a tackle on Jack Johns in last week’s 14-12 loss to Newcastle, despite initially not being on the list of charges.
“If what you said is correct and they’ve gone to the review board for a particular entry, they probably should have come back and said, ‘Well, the kid’s going to have surgery. He’s going to miss two weeks.'” Sheens said Saturday.
I don’t like that kind of crap. But by saying that, I will protect my players.
Under NRL rules, the league has until 6pm Monday to re-examine charges brought from the weekend to Sunday’s games.
The NRL initially released its first charge sheet shortly after 10am on Monday, before issuing a second charge sheet containing Papali’i’s name less than three hours later.
Sheens, however, conceded that Papali’i’s entry deserved scrutiny by the Match Review Committee.
“It’s a bit disappointing, but at the end of the day, the tackle had a bit of a hip drop look to it,” he said.
‘I didn’t think it was a grade two, but that was the rating. We have to live with that and move on.’
Meanwhile, according to news corporationTalau has since buried the hatchet with Hastings after contacting the Newcastle star on social media.
Talau was in no mood to accept Hastings’ apology on the pitch, but has since reached out to his former teammate to smooth things over.
Tempers flared between the Tigers and Knights after Jackson Hastings picked up Tommy Talau with a brutal punch that left the Wests star with a broken nose.
“It was a spur of the moment thing,” Hastings said last week.
‘I went to apologize, I didn’t realize in the game that I took it high.
“I just tried to do the right thing at the end of the game by going to say sorry, in the heat of the battle I was still angry, which I fully appreciate.”
‘Nobody wants to get hit on the head and he was ruled out of the game too so I’m sorry; there was no intention. I can see why you would be frustrated.