Melbourne Storm captain Harry Grant has publicly questioned why Reece Walsh wasn’t sin-binned in the NRL grand final, seemingly accusing the league of double standards after he was suspended for a similar incident. Walsh appeared lucky to stay on the field when he hit Storm winger Xavier Coates in the head with a shoulder charge in the first half on Sunday night.
The Broncos fullback scored a stunning solo try around 10 minutes after the incident, leaving Storm fans infuriated because they thought he should have been in the bin. Walsh, Ezra Mam and Brendan Piakura all escaped further punishment for incidents that could have drawn a sin-bin, but Storm forward Trent Loiero wasn’t as lucky.
Harry Grant (second from left) has questioned why Reece Walsh (L) wasn’t sin-binned. Image: Getty
Loiero was given his marching orders and hit with a two-game ban on Monday for a high shot on Piakura late in the game. Walsh and Piakura escaped with fines, while Mam wasn’t charged at all. It means Walsh is free to make his Kangaroos debut after being picked in Kevin Walters’ squad for the Ashes.
On Monday night, Channel 9 aired an interview with Grant that was taken immediately after full-time. The Storm captain pointed out that he was sin-binned and banned two games for a similar incident to Walsh’s back in Round 25.
“I got sin-binned a couple of weeks ago and got two weeks for bugger all. And then we come out and do that [not bin Walsh in the grand final],” Grant said.
Harry Grant (L) was sin-binned and banned two games for a similar shoulder charge to Reece Walsh’s (R). Image: Channel 9
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The Storm skipper was quick to point out that it wouldn’t have been on-field referee Grant Atkins’ call, but would have come from Ashley Klein in the bunker. “That’s probably not Grant’s call, that’s probably coming from above Grant,” he said. “We can give him a break on that, but we can probably ask some questions a little bit deeper.”
Speaking in commentary for Channel 9 during the game, Storm legend Billy Slater questioned why it was only Melbourne who copped a sin-bin. “There’s been about three sin-bins today if we’re going to be honest,” Slater said. “We had Reece Walsh in the first half and Brendan Piakura hitting (Ryan) Papenhuyzen late.”
Harry Grant not happy with multiple calls from bunker
Meanwhile, Grant made similar comments about being penalised for a supposed trip on Mam in the second half. Klein ordered Atkins to stop play and penalise Grant for an incident that occurred three players prior, even though the NRL stated earlier this year that only serious acts of foul play would warrant going back in time to penalise.
Grant wasn’t even charged by the match review committee on Monday morning, showing it definitely wasn’t a serious act of foul play. “The game is so fast. Ezra Mam is dangerous, left foot right foot, you’re coming across to make a tackle and get wrong-footed, you’re going to have imbalance somewhere within your body,” Grant said in his post-match press conference.
“At the end of the day, that decision isn’t from Grant (Atkins), it’s from someone above him with replays and looks at it. I don’t think there is any player, majority of the time, going out with intent to trip someone. Play it in fast motion and you’ll see someone get wrong-footed. Ezra Mam is one of the best in the game as a running five-eighth, you don’t know which way he is going, so that’s probably more of what it was than [a trip].”