Punches thrown in controversial Manly win
Controversy reigned at AAMI Park in Manly’s 24-4 win over Melbourne after one player was sent off and four more sent to the sin bin on Saturday night.
Storm centre Curtis Scott was marched from the field after throwing punches at Dylan Walker, who also received 10 minutes in the bin alongside Apisai Koroisau, who earned the wrath of home fans by clapping and giving them the thumbs-up as he walked to the sheds.
Koroisau had thrown a punch at Scott after running into the scuffle that broke out deep in Melbourne’s half midway through the second half.
Scott was the first player to be sent off since 2015 and is in all likelihood set for a date with the NRL judiciary, with reports emerging that Walker may have suffered a fractured eye socket.
But it was the return of Koroisau and Matthew Wright, who finished the game in place of Walker, that created more controversy after they were apparently let on with one minute and 41 seconds left to serve.
Melbourne football boss Frank Ponissi was furious on the sideline and remonstrated with an NRL official, with the governing body confirming after the game that an investigation would be launched.
Fox Sports reported Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy had been in contact with NRL counterpart Todd Greenberg and football boss Brian Canavan before the game had even finished.
The NRL’s statement added fuel to the fire, with neither club reportedly aware of the official rules regarding timekeepers.
“The NRL will conduct a full review of the timing of the dismissals and the process,” an NRL statement read.
“The responsibility of the timing for sin bins is held by the clubs, although in this instance, it appears there were no club-supplied sin bin operators present at the venue.”
It’s the duty of the NRL-appointed timekeeper to manage the 10 minutes the players are off the field.
Ponissi told reporters after the game it was unlikely they would take the complaint further given the 20-point margin.
“It was obviously an error and he made a mistake but I personally don’t want to dwell on it,” he said.
“He made a mistake and, hopefully, it doesn’t happen again.”
Daly Cherry-Evans summed the situation up immediately after the contest when he was informed of the confusion.
“That’s bizarre, but it didn’t have too much of an (impact) on the game,” he told Fox Sports.
Jake Trbojevic (first half) and Josh Addo-Carr (second half) were sent to the bin in separate incidents, while Melbourne’s Nelson Asofa-Solomona was also put on report for a dangerous tackle.
Melbourne played the game without suspended captain Cameron Smith and they were well beaten, dropping the ball throughout the match and switching off in defence.
It was the first time Manly have won back-to-back games this season, while Melbourne have collected only four wins from 16 games Smith has sat out since 2011.
The Scott-Walker clash offered shades of the infamous 2011 Battle of Brookvale, when brawling teams spilled over the sidelines.
Watch the full match highlights:
with AAP
