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Fifita will miss Tonga’s Test against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday as well as Cronulla’s next two games against Canterbury and Brisbane after being found guilty of a grade two crusher tackle on Canberra prop Ryan Sutton. Having turned his back on Australia to represent Tonga, the former NSW State of Origin and Kangaroos Test prop said he was shattered not to be able to line up for the Mate Ma’a at Mt Smart Stadium this weekend.
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Having turned his back on Australia to represent Tonga, the former NSW State of Origin and Kangaroos Test prop will be shattered not to be able to line up for the Mate Ma’a at Mt Smart Stadium this weekend.
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But the firebrand prop only has himself to blame after committing a costly faux pas at Tuesday night’s tribunal hearing.
Represented by Nick Ghabar, the Sydney lawyer who famously helped Billy Slater beat a shoulder charge claim against him that allowed the Melbourne superstar to play in last year’s grand final, Fifita gave evidence via a video link from Auckland.
Fifita pleaded guilty but disputed the grade two charge, arguing he was only trying to prevent Sutton from attempting a quick play the ball after noticing he was “already on his hands and knees” after being tackled around the legs by Cronulla hooker Blayke Brailey.
He said, as a front rower, that was his job.
“When you wrestle, that’s what you’re meant to do,” Fifita said. “I felt like I had to put my body weight on him just to slow the ruck down and and get our players (time to get) back on side.”
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Alas, judiciary chairman Geoff Bellow advised the panel of Mal Cochrane, Bob Lindner and Sean Garlick to disregard much of Fifita’s defence, saying trying to prevent a quick play the ball didn’t relieve him of any culpability. Judiciary counsel Anthony Lo Surdo said the tackle on Sutton was all but complete and there was no need for Fifita to involve himself. Lo Surdo contended that Fifita had been highly careless, resulting in excessive pressure on Sutton’s neck while the Raiders player was in a vulnerable position with no ability to protect himself.
He said he didn’t need to remind the panel of the potentially catastrophic consequences of such tackles.
“We play a contact sport. I’m a front rower and like to throw my body weight around and I need to ... I’m sorry but that’s what kind of sport we’re in” Fifita said.
Ghabar was unsuccessful in trying to convince the panel Fifita’s tackle was any worse than a crusher tackle of Latrell Mitchell’s last year on Cronulla centre Josh Dugan that was deemed to have been a grade one offence. But veteran Warriors forward Adam Blair escaped suspension after beating a dangerous contact charge after being sin-binned for a late tackle on Gold Coast five-eighth Tyrone Roberts last Friday night.