11 charges, $13,400 in fines after NRL’s wild night of fights and high shots

The NRL has handed out 11 charges and $13,400 in fines from a wild Saturday of fixtures that included five sin-binnings and set the finals race alight.

Eight charges alone came out of the Roosters’ fiery 64-12 drubbing of the Dolphins, with Spencer Leniu, Naufahu Whyte, Francis Molo and Aublix Tawha all issued contrary conduct charges for the ninth-minute melee that led to all four being sin-binned.

Leniu has also been served with the same contrary conduct charge for rushing in to hit Tawha in the back a minute earlier. The Roosters firebrand’s fine for both incidents was bumped up to $1800 with an early guilty plea, with the rest of the sin-binned quartet facing $1000 fines.

Dolphins lock Kurt Donoghoe is also facing separate $1800 and $3000 fines for his part in the explosive opening to the contest, which included a high shot on Billy Smith and shoulder charge on Leniu. Donoghoe’s fine for hitting Leniu would become a two-game suspension if he unsuccessfully contested the charge at the judiciary.

Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf was miffed by Molo and Aublix being sat down for their part in the melee started by Leniu, asking afterwards, “Do we have to allow ourselves to get punched to not get sin-binned?”

Leniu’s sparring with the Suncorp Stadium crowd picked up where he left off in Origin I, when he taunted Queensland fans.

Both he and Whyte ran roughshod over the Dolphins when they returned from the sin bin, Leniu celebrating his 38th-minute try with a “shoosh” gesture to the crowd.

“Naufahu has been our best all year with the way he has led the forward pack,” Roosters skipper James Tedesco said. “He has been unbelievable after just playing his 50th game the other week.

“Spencer relishes that villain role, but I think they both knew when they came back on that they had let us down a bit. But they changed the momentum and got us rolling through the middle. Our spine took advantage.”

Neither Donoghoe nor teammate Oryn Keeley were punished for the heavy kick-off shot that knocked Siua Wong out of the contest and Friday’s clash with the Bulldogs.

Tedesco protested on-field that Keeley had shoulder-charged Wong before a head clash with Donoghoe knocked the Fijian international out.

Despite the Roosters-Dolphins pyrotechnics, it was Cronulla who were hit hardest by the match review committee on Sunday with Briton Nikora potentially rubbed out until the finals.

Nikora is facing a 3-4 game suspension for his high tackle on Corey Allan in the Dragons 22-14 boilover.

Given the Sharks have a bye after next week’s clash with the Titans, Nikora would not play again until week one of the finals if he takes an early guilty plea. His punishment has been increased given it is at least his third high tackle charge in the past few years.

Canterbury’s Sam Hughes and Harry Hayes will both be free to play against the Roosters on Friday night as they face $1000 – $1500 fines for low-grade high tackles.

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