Sharks forward cops $6.6k worth of fines after ‘ridiculous’ sin bin
Updated . First published
Sharks back-rower Teig Wilton has avoided suspension after a “ridiculous” sin bin during his side’s 32-16 win over South Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
Wilton was placed on report and given his marching orders when Jack Wighton was busted open after what appeared to be a head clash.
Teig Wilton clashes heads with Jack Wighton. Fox League
However, on-field referee Todd Smith explained to Wilton his shoulder came into direct contact with Wighton’s head. Not everyone was on the same page.
“That was quite a heavy collision,” Michael Ennis said on Fox League.
“I think that’s an unfortunate accident that happens in a collision ... ridiculous.”
Wilton has since been slapped with an $1800 fine for a grade one careless high tackle, but also received two other fines from the match review committee.
The tough edge forward was cited for a crusher tackle on Cody Walker that will incur a $3000 fine with an early guilty plea, while Wilton will be forced to cough up another $1800 for another careless high tackle on Souths fullback Matt Dufty.
Wighton was forced off for a category two HIA and it was revealed while he was in the bin that Wilton also needed to undergo an assessment.
Both players passed their HIAs and were cleared to return, but Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon admitted his confusion over the Wilton decision.
“I’m not sure - to be fair to the Bunker or whoever makes that call, you’re in the box and all of a sudden you’ve gotta quickly review it,” he said.
“Our vision [in the coach’s box] is not the best but just looking at it, I didn’t understand it, but if that’s the call, that’s the call ... we’ll adjust to that.
“I don’t normally sook about the refs, they’ve got a hard job. For how up and about we were today, we had some hard ones, but I’m not gonna sook about it.”
In what ended up a dominant win for Cronulla, the visitors struck an early blow when Dufty threw a nice cut-out pass to set up a break, before rookie centre Latrell Siegwalt crossed on the other edge from the next play.
After surviving multiple sets on their own line, the Bunnies ended up cracking when Briton Nikora shot through a hole to level the scores.
Siosifa Talakai soon scored in his 150th first grade game to put Cronulla ahead, before hooker Blayke Brailey caught some lazy Bunnies defenders napping.
Blayke Brailey in action against the Rabbitohs. Getty Images
“That’s an embarrassing moment from the visitors and a piece of individual brilliance from one of the form players in the competition,” Ennis said.
Cronulla did cop a blow at half-time, however, with centre KL Iro forced from the field and failing his HIA, while back-rower Talakai suffered a biceps injury.
It mattered little, as the Sharks continued a strong run of form and cemented their top-four spot with a decisive victory on home soil.
