Vision has emerged of the moment Rabbitohs star David Fifita kicked Hudson Young in the head and earned a one-match NRL suspension after it was completely missed at the time. Fifita copped a Grade 2 dangerous contact charge on Sunday after Souths’ 34-24 loss to Canberra on Saturday.
The charge carries a one-game suspension, or two if the Rabbitohs challenge at the NRL judiciary and lose. It means Fifita won’t be available for Souths’ clash with the Melbourne Storm in Round 21, and potentially the following game against Cronulla.
David Fifita lashed out and kicked Hudson Young in the head. Image: Fox League/Getty
It’s a blow for Wayne Bennett’s side considering their loss to the Raiders sent them down to seventh on the NRL ladder, just two points ahead of Manly and the Bulldogs in ninth and 10th. But there was confusion on Sunday over Fifita’s ban considering the incident was missed at the time.
In the first minute of the second half on Saturday, Fifita was struggling on the ground while being held down by Young. In an attempt to try and wriggle free, Fifita kicked his legs carelessly and collected Young straight in the head.
Play momentarily stopped as Young looked dazed and Fifita immediately apologised, but the referee didn’t award the Raiders a penalty. The Bunker official later reviewed the footage and placed Fifita on report. It didn’t appear as though Fifita did it on purpose, but the recklessness in which he kicked out has cost him a game on the sidelines.
David Fifita collected Hudson Young in the head with his boot. Image: Fox League
Wests Tigers lose two players to NRL suspensions
He was one of four players banned from Round 20 after Owen Pattie, Adam Doueihi and Latu Fainu also copped suspensions. Raiders hooker Pattie also copped a Grade 2 dangerous contact charge for an incident with Keaon Koloamatangi, resulting in a one-game ban. While the Tigers have lost Fainu and Doueihi for one and two games respectively.
Doueihi will sit out next week’s clash with Canberra if he accepts an early guilty plea for a high shot on Bulldogs forward Harry Hayes, while Fainu had copped two games for a tackle on Leo Thompson that saw him sin-binned. Thompson flipped awkwardly and landed on his head and shoulder after Fainu cannoned into his legs.
It wasn’t a traditional lifting tackle but a case of Fainu probably trying to tackle too low. Controversy has erupted over the call to sin-bin him and the subsequent two-game ban, with many believing he didn’t do much wrong and it was simply a freak accident.