NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler has called out Maroons star Tino Fa’asuamaleaui after his clash with Api Koroisau, saying the enforcer needs to have a “duty of care” for his opponents.
Fa’asuamaleaui threw a major spanner in Fittler’s Origin plans when he left the incumbent Blues hooker with a fractured jaw, but downplayed concerns over a potential suspension.
Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens revealed in his press conference that Koroisau’s jaw was “badly broken” in two places and said he would be sidelined for at least six weeks.
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“Nah mate, it’s a contact sport,” Fa’asuamaleaui told Maroons great Darren Lockyer when asked if he was worried about a ban on the Nine broadcast.
“I’m running as hard as I can and Api’s going in there to put a big hit on and he just came off second best.
“I’m hoping nothing comes of it and it’s just a contact sport at the end of the day.”
Fittler took umbrage with the Titans skipper’s assessment of the clash with Koroisau.
“It’s a contact game, but if it was just contact then it can get very dangerous out there and there will be a lot of injuries,” he said on Nine’s coverage.
“It’s the second time he’s done it to a hooker, he knocked out Reed Mahoney a couple of weeks ago.
“He flies very close to the line with his tackling as well. It’s spectacular at times, so you don’t want to take it completely out of the game, but there’s plenty of times where he doesn’t wrap his arm around either.
“It’s a contact game, but there’s also a duty of care as well.”
Blues assistant coach Andrew Johns was less critical, but said the incident was an example of Fa’asuamaleaui having a flaw in his technique.
However, Maroons greats Paul Vautin and Cameron Smith saw little wrong with Fa’asuamaleaui’s actions.
”It’s no good that Api’s got a busted jaw, I’ve seen the previous Tino incidents and it’s not a great look, but every forward that looks up and runs into four or five or six forwards, they lift their arms,” Vautin said.
“I did it a million times. You lift your arms for protection, not to attack the player, but just for your own protection from the players who are trying to tackle you. Every player does it and has been doing it since 1908.
“I’m not going to say Api Koroisau has had his head in the wrong place, but it’s just an accident.
“Who knows what they’re going to do with this one? Considering it’s his third offence, they’ll probably step him down.
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“It was accidental and sometimes accidents do happen.”
“Looking at the incident, I’m trying to figure out what’s illegal about the action,” Smith added.
“If you actually see the bump he makes on Api Koroisau, it’s with the ball-carrying arm, his right arm, whereas if you look at last time he was charged, he led with his left arm.
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“I don’t know what he’s meant to do with the ball-carrying arm. Is he meant to make it disappear? Is he meant to put it down by his side and just run chest and face first into a defender who is trying to inflict some pain on him also?
“There wasn’t too much Tino could’ve done in this instance.”
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