Injuries & Suspensions

Match review committee bingo: Asofa-Solomona, King, Frei learn fate

Three players were expected to be charged, but only one has been. 👇

Published by
Scott Pryde

Josh King and Nelson Asofa-Solomona have both escaped sanction after the NRL's match review committee released its charge sheet from Friday night's games, while fringe Warriors' forward Jackson Frei has been hit for a late shot on Harry Grant.

Just a week after Canterbury Bulldogs' forward Corey Waddell was suspended for five weeks after an alleged eye gouge on Gold Coast Titans' captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui last weekend, King was expected to be in hot water this morning with the charge sheet.

His fingers seemed to make contact - even if not intentional - with the eye of Warriors' forward Jazz Tevaga during the 19th minute of Friday night's game against the Storm in Auckland.

King was placed on report and penalised in the direct aftermath of the tackle, however, his name was missing from the charge sheet this morning.

Asofa-Solomona was another name missing after after being penalised for dangerous contact twice in the opening four minutes of the game.

The Melbourne prop has been charged three times in the last two weeks, all attracting monetary fines. It was thought he could have been up for more sanctions after a dangerous throw on Edward Kosi in the second minute of the game, followed by an apparent elbow into the jaw of Wayde Egan in a tackle just a minute later.

Egan was eventually cleared of both a jaw injury and a head injury assessment, able to return to the game, however, just 24 hours after Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was slapped with a fine for an elbow on Zac Fulton, Asofa-Solomona was able to escape sanction.

Frei, on the other hand, was hit with a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge for a late shot on Harry Grant after he had made a break through the line.

Not penalised at the time thanks to a second act of foul play in the same tackle - Euan Aitken tackling Cameron Munster off the ball - the match review committee found reason to sanction the fringe player, who can either accept a $1000 fine or a one-match ban for the late shot.

Published by
Scott Pryde