New Zealand Warriors coach Andrew Webster has launched a scathing statement towards the match officials as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's season has come to a premature end.
After losing to the Canterbury Bulldogs 34-18 in horror conditions across the ditch, Webster was furious with the match officials post-match because Stephen Crichton was not sent from the field.
Leading 18-16 just after the break, Crichton knocked out Tuivasa-Sheck with a no-arms high tackle, which saw the Warriors centre's night come to an end after he was ruled out for failing his HIA.
However, unlike other times this season, the Bulldogs skipper was able to remain on the field due to mitigating circumstances following a review from the Bunker.
"I'm struggling to understand how a shoulder can go into Roger's head and the bunker's got ages to see it in a critical time of the game and then we lose Roger and we've got to reshuffle all our team,โ Webster said post-match.
โYou've got to reshuffle anyway; that's football, but if it happens because it just happens. But when it happens like that and nothing gets done to them we've got to protect our players.
โAnd I just don't see the consistency one little bit around that. Roger will miss next week now and couldn't come back and their player goes on. That's it.
"I actually don't think they know. I don't think they understand because if they did the wording around they say just isn't clear."
Centre Adam Pompey will also be unavailable for their last match of the season next week, with Webster confirming he has sustained a knee injury that saw him taken from the field and not return.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck wont be available for the Warriors final game of the season next week after suffering a concussion - direct head contact mechanism.
Deemed to have shown Category 1 signs (motor incoordination) which means he will be subject to mandatory 11 day stand down. pic.twitter.com/87v5ebZ6N3
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 23, 2024
Will Webster be fined for bringing the game into disrepute?
Very must doubt that will be the case, as Wah Wah’s are protected by the NRLoL.