Manly have wasted no time reaching out to lawyer Nick Ghabar to review a lifting tackle that has skipper Daly Cherry-Evans and back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu facing two-match bans.
The match review committee levelled a grade-two dangerous contact charge against both players on Saturday morning following the Sea Eagles’ 32-18 win over Parramatta the night before.
Eels winger Maika Sivo, who was sin binned for elbowing Reuben Garrick in the face – a moment that went a long way to ending any hopes of an Eels comeback – can escape with a $3000 fine for dangerous contact.
Olakau’atu was sin binned for the fifth-minute tackle on Shaun Lane, who complained of a sore neck, but was able to finish the game. No action was taken on the field against Cherry-Evans.
“It wasn’t like a typical lifting tackle; he hit him through the stomach, which is a really good tackle,” Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold said after the game about Olakau’atu’s effort on Lane.
“And then ‘Chez’ [Cherry-Evans] was on top. He did land in an unfortunate position. But he came back on and played the rest of the game. I thought 10 minutes was sufficient for the tackle, so hopefully nothing more comes with that.”
Shaun Lane receives treatment after a tackle from Haumole Olakau’atu and Daly Cherry-Evans.Credit: NRL Photos
Cherry-Evans added: “I definitely had a role in the tackle. It just overcompensated what was happening in the tackle. Ten minutes in the bin was probably fair. I’d like to think that’s hopefully all and we’ll move on.”
Should Manly and Ghabar seek a downgrade to a grade-one dangerous throw, Cherry-Evans and Olakau’atu can escape with $1000 fines.
