Parramatta ahead J’maine Hopgood has been hit with what will probably be a controversial ban by the NRL’s match evaluation committee.
Hopgood can settle for a one-game suspension for an incident the MRC judged a grade two careless excessive sort out.
It occurred when Storm ahead Alec MacDonald fell into Hopgood’s shoulder early in Thursday night time’s recreation at AAMI Park, leaving MacDonald concussed and out for the remainder of the sport.
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It’ll little question trigger a stir given Hopgood did little mistaken, and truly received hit within the head himself.
On-field referee Todd Smith claimed it was “direct shoulder contact to the top” and the Bunker official agreed, sending Hopgood to the bin.
Replays appeared to point out it was merely a head conflict.
Alec MacDonald is hit within the head by J’maine Hopgood. 9
“What about his head?” Eels captain Mitchell Moses was heard asking, however Smith needed none of it.
NRL legends Andrew Johns and Billy Slater agreed Hopgood had executed nothing mistaken.
“He was out earlier than he hit the bottom, MacDonald,” Johns stated on 9.
“It is a head conflict… I believe the primary contact is head on head.
“He’s standing fairly tall, Hopgood, and if something it is the left-foot step of MacDonald (that ends in the contact).
“It is unintended.”
Storm icon Slater agreed.
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“You possibly can see J’maine Hopgood’s head shake with the contact,” Slater stated.
It as soon as once more calls the consistency of the Bunker course of and match evaluation committee into query after Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton final week averted the bin and a cost regardless of his shoulder colliding with the top of Dragons rookie Setu Tu in Vegas.
Hopgood’s was the one cost to stem from the sport on Thursday.
His teammate Brian Kelly was penalised for a excessive sort out within the second half which Fox League commentator Andrew Voss steered was worse than the Hopgood incident.
Kelly was penalised however wasn’t sin binned or charged over the incident.
Hopgood will miss subsequent week’s journey to Brisbane except he can battle the cost on the NRL judiciary and win.
He might have a case to downgrade it to a grade one, which might wipe the suspension, after Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary did simply that following a pre-season cost.
