Sickening Manly spear tackle sparks all-in fight

2 years ago 228

The Rabbitohs had agelong had the crippled wrapped up but that didn't halt tensions from boiling implicit precocious successful their 36-18 preliminary last triumph implicit the Sea Eagles successful Brisbane.

Manly front-rower Josh Aloiai spear-tackled South Sydney prop Mark Nicholls successful the 68th infinitesimal and an all-in scuffle ignited.

By the extremity of the tense scenes, from which Nicholls emerged injury-free, Aloai had been marched to the misdeed bin and referee Ashley Klein had warned some captains against players moving successful from afar.

Klein singled retired Manly second-rower Haumole Olakau'atu and South Sydney hooker Damien Cook for their roles successful the melee, earlier handing retired his punishment to Aloiai.

"The tackle by you is highly dangerous," Klein was heard telling Aloiai connected Nine's coverage.

"You're going to spell to the bin and it's connected report."

Rugby league large Paul Vautin added: "That was an mean tackle. That was an old-fashioned, 80s-type tackle, that one."

Luckily for South Sydney's camp, nary Rabbitohs subordinate threw a punch successful the encounter, which would person perchance ruled them retired of the expansive final.

But rugby league icon Brad Fittler nevertheless deed Cook with a light-hearted spray for his portion successful the scuffle.

"Damien Cook, what were you thinking?" Fittler said connected Nine's post-match show.

"Mate, each you're going to bash is get yourself successful trouble. You don't jeopardise anything, you locomotion away. You cognize they're not going to bash thing to Mark Nicholls; he's connected the ground."

The victor of Saturday's preliminary last clash betwixt Melbourne and Penrith volition conscionable South Sydney successful the decider adjacent Sunday.

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