Knights star facing long ban over 'unsavoury' hit

1 year ago 73

Newcastle Knights prima Jacob Saifiti could beryllium acceptable for a lengthy stint connected the sidelines aft a shocking deed successful his side's triumph implicit the Wests Tigers.

Saifiti was fixed his marching orders aft collecting Jake Simpkin successful the 2nd fractional of the Knights' 14-12 triumph astatine Leichhardt Oval.

The incidental occurred erstwhile Simpkin, from dummy-half, chopped backmost connected the wrong and recovered Saifiti fundamentally conscionable sticking an limb out.

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League fable Phil Gould was near stunned astatine the deed from Saifiti.

"Whatever could spell incorrect for the Knights has gone wrong, each day. Oh, beloved ohio dear. He was trying to screen 2 players astatine erstwhile - he's conscionable hung an limb out," helium said connected Nine's NRL coverage.

Nine's pb commentator Mat Thompson called the deed a "shocker" and "most unsavoury".

The deed was 1 of galore successful a fiery clash between the 2 sides who some came into the lucifer aft circular 1 losses.

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The day began successful shocking manner for the Knights erstwhile nine skipper Kalyn Ponga was forced disconnected the tract with different concussion, his 4th successful the span of 10 months, successful the opening minutes.

Ponga was knocked retired acold aft clashing heads with Asu Kepaoa successful the 2nd minute.

Knights halfback Jackson Hastings was besides progressive successful a fiery fracas with his erstwhile teammates aft being placed connected study owed to a precocious deed connected Tommy Talau.

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Talau was near bleeding and did not instrumentality aft an incidental which Hastings called a "pure accident" aft the game.

"I honestly didn't deliberation I got him, evidently I did (because) he's bleeding," Hastings told Fox League aft the game.

"I'm truly atrocious for Tommy, I'll accidental atrocious to him aft this. It was a axenic accident. I was trying to halt a try, determination was nary malice successful it.

"He came retired maine evidently and helium was good wrong his rights."

The triumph drops the Tigers to 0-2 successful what's been a pugnacious commencement to Tim Sheens' instrumentality stint astatine the club.

Sheens' broadside volition question to Belmore adjacent week to instrumentality connected the Bulldogs, portion the 1-1 Knights volition look the Dolphins successful their location opener.

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