Melbourne Storm's training tactics and the NRL have come under fire after an ugly tackle from forward Felise Kaufusi left Parramatta's Ryan Matterson heavily concussed in the side's loss on Thursday night.
Kaufusi appeared to strike Matterson across the head with his right elbow during a tackle in the second half of the Eels' 16-12 win. The 26-year-old back-rower was taken from the field and failed a HIA, ruling him out for the rest of the match.
The Storm star was placed on report but was allowed to remain on the field.
Kaufusi was charged with a Grade Two dangerous contact offence by the match review committee, sidelining him for two weeks with an early guilty plea.
NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent slammed the two match ban and the decision to allow Kaufusi to remain on the ground.
“I thought it was disgraceful, gutless and I thought the NRL showed no courage at all,” Kent said on Fox League.
“A two-week penalty for that? I think we have been talking for some years now about concussion and the safety of the player and the long-term damage caused by knockouts and yet we see an incident like this. He doesn’t get sent off or ten in the sin bin.
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“He gets a report and he gets a two-week penalty and then you get the coach for saying there’s not much in it. It’s a cheap shot and I don’t like cheap shots.
“I’d argue that was a professional foul, it’s a deliberate head shot on Parramatta’s player and he doesn’t lose a minute for that. He should be sent off and he should be looking at six to eight weeks.
“The bunker is going to get a kick up the backside and will be told from now on they must look at these incidents.”
Fox League reporter James Hooper accused Melbourne's wrestling training of causing the dangerous tackle.
“It’s learned behaviour it’s an elbow – a jiu-jitsu move to the head,” Hooper said.
“Do you know how often they spend in jiu-jitsu dojos a week? Three sessions a week, I’m not saying they practice that every day but the level of wrestle they do – that’s going to creep into the game.”
Matterson will be evaluated by club doctors before Parramatta's round three match against the Sharks on Saturday night, while the Storm head to Penrith for a Grand Final rematch on Thursday night.