Manly prop Toafofoa Sipley cops four-match suspension for hip-drop tackle
Updated . First published
Manly prop Toafofoa Sipley has been slapped with a four-game suspension after being referred to the NRL judiciary for a hip-drop tackle on Dragons winger Mat Feagai.
In a bizarre moment in St George Illawarra's narrow win on Thursday night at Brookvale Oval, the front-rower was sin-binned for the tackle that left Feagai injured.
It was initially thought that Siosiua Taukeiaho had been penalised for a high shot, but it was instead Sipley given his marching orders for the dangerous tackle.
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The 30-year-old was charged by the match review committee but given the strange nature of the incident, no grading was given at the time the charges dropped.
Toafofoa Sipley was placed on report for this tackle. Nine
Sipley fronted the panel on Tuesday night and the unanimous decision was handed down to rule him out for the next month of action.
Speaking to media post-game, Daly Cherry-Evans explained what happened out on the field and why Sipley could escape punishment.
"I will just mention on that, I think he may have got concussed from the elbow and lost his legs a bit," the Sea Eagles captain said.
"I think it looked pretty accidental. Hopefully they can see that element of it."
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Anthony Seibold did admit the entire situation was "bizarre", but clarified that Sipley did undergo a HIA before he managed to return for the final stages of the game.
Feagai left the field after a lengthy delay, with confusion over whether 18th man Sione Finau could be activated due to foul play.
The visitors would resume playing before Finau came on to replace Feagai, and head coach Shane Flanagan admitted it was "frustrating" the way the situation unfolded.
Mat Feagai leaves the field. Getty
"I was upset because we had a player that I thought at the time was hit in the head, but it was a hip-drop," he said.
"We started to play again with 12 men, so we got penalised. It was a tricky one, and I know there was a lot going on down on the sideline. We messed it up, we dropped the ball, but we shouldn't have started playing with 12 men. That was frustrating to me."
Finau is expected to start for the Dragons in their traditional Anzac Day clash with the Roosters next weekend, with Feagai expected to miss an extended period.
