Sharks centre Siosifa Talakai will await his fate with the match review committee after he was placed on report for a knee lift that knocked out Murray Taulagi.
With 10 minutes to go between the Cowboys and Sharks in Townsville, Taulagi tried to jam in from the wing as Cronulla shifted the ball deep into territory.
Talakai was in the air as Taulagi tried to tackle him, and the latter dropped to the ground immediately after copping a knee to the head.
READ MORE: Wild gym feat before new Aussie sprint star put world on notice
READ MORE: Great calls for fines as alarming injury remains total mystery
READ MORE: Bulldogs’ remarkable update after star’s horror landing
No penalty was given with play continuing until the final tackle with Taulagi still in the dazed in back play.
Eventually Taulagi, who looked unaware of where he was, had to go off for an HIA which followed Talakai being placed on report.
Siosifa Talakai’s raised knee knocked out Murray Taulagi. Fox League
Mick Ennis didn’t think the Sharks star’s act was on purpose.
“I don’t think there was any malice in it, he was just coming down and bracing. But it certainly was raised,” he said on Fox League.
In a high-scoring match, the Cowboys were leading 36-28 at the time. Taulagi had scored a hat-trick by that point which included a show me the money celebration after one.
Watch the 2026 NRL season live and free on Nine and 9Now.
Taulagi is off-contract and has been linked to the Roosters.
Talakai also scored a double for the Sharks in the first half while KL Iro had a hat-trick himself.
Iro’s third try came with four minutes left and made the score 42-34 to setup a grandstand finish.
Late in the match, Nicho Hynes put a kick to the corner on the fourth tackle and Iro had the chance for a fourth. However, the cover defence of Thomas Chester, Heilum Luki and Tom Dearden bundled him into touch.
The match was then sealed moments later when Iro dropped a ball on halfway with Luki scooping up the loose ball and running away to score.