Chris Patolo

Bulldog, Sea Eagle charged by match review committee

Two forwards have been charged.

Published by
Scott Pryde

Canterbury Bulldogs forward Chris Patolo, and Manly Sea Eagles prop Toafofa Sipley have both escaped suspension after being placed on report during Friday's Round 10 action.

Patolo was placed on report during the 61st minute of the clash against the Knights after his forearm made forceful and direct contact with the head of Enari Tuala, who had been making a run out of his own end.

The bunker spent time investigating the tackle in the immediate aftermath, however, Patolo managed to avoid the sin bin during the loss.

He has been hit with a Grade 1 careless high tackle charge, which carries with it a $1000 fine for his first offence of the season, or $1500 if he were to fight and lose at the judiciary.

Sipley will face the same penalty for a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge after he collected Payne Haas with a cannonball tackle below the knees.

Haas had been standing in a two-man tackle when Sipley made a tackle which buckled Haas' leg.

He also avoided the sin bin for the tackle after a bunker investigation.

Paul Vaughan will also be breathing a sigh of relief after he escaped sanction for a lifting tackle which was penalised, but left off report at the time during the early exchanges of the Bulldogs loss.

Vaughan was the third man in on a tackle of Knights' lock Leo Thompson during the sixth minute of the match, sending him well past the horizontal.

Penalised at the time, it was thought Vaughan could have ended up with a sanction from the match review committee, however, his name was missing from Saturday morning's charge sheet.

Lifting tackles have been heavily in the press recently following Karl Lawton being sent off for a tackle on Cameron Murray a fortnight ago before copping a four-week ban, while Jack Wighton found himself sin binned on the same weekend and facing a two-week ban.

Both Sipley and Patolo - as well as their respective clubs - will have until midday on Sunday to either accept the early guilty plea and $1,000 fines, or fight the charges at the judiciary on Tuesday night.

Published by
Scott Pryde