NRL fans livid over 'ridiculous' sin bin farce as Titans slam send off drama

Gold Coast Titans coach Jim Lenihan has echoed the views of many NRL fans after slamming the decision to send off prop Moeaki Fotuaika in the first half of his side's 28-18 loss to the Warriors on Friday night. Gold Coast were forced to play the majority of the contest with a man down after Fotuaika was became the second player in 24 hours to be given his marching orders for a high shot.

A day after Roosters enforcer Nathan Brown was sent off for forceful shoulder contact to the head of Manly's Ben Trbojevic, officials showed they were serious about the crackdown on head contact after sending Fotuaika off just 17 minutes into the match against the Warriors. Fotuaika's shoulder caught Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in the head and left the Warriors fullback lying on the ground and in a daze.

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The incident happened just minutes after Gold Coast teammate Chris Randall was put on report for a similar high shot on Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, that saw him escape a sin-binning or sending off. Fotuaika was not quite so fortunate though as he was marched for the hit on Nicoll-Klokstad that ended the Warriors star's game after he failed a subsequent HIA.

The Titans performed admirably to hang on for most of the game with a player down, but the Shaun Johnson-inspired Warriors ultimately proved too strong, with the classy halfback scoring two tries and setting up two more to help his side cement third spot on the ladder. Speaking after the game, Gold Coast's coach suggested the send-off ruined the game and said Fotuaika's tackle was different from the one that saw Brown marched for the Roosters the previous night.

“I think if you compare the one from last night I don’t thin it’s the same sort of thing, I don’t think Mo is coming out of the ground or coming recklessly out of the ground, Mo is pretty much bracing for contact,” Lenihan said in his post-match press conference.

“Yes there may have been a bit of contact to the head and maybe 10 minutes was probably sufficient. I don’t know it justifies at that point to probably ruin the game but it put us under a hell of a lot of pressure and pretty much the game was over at that point.

'Ridiculous' sin bin drama leaves viewers seething

The Titans coach said they had been given "no warning" that the NRL would be cracking down on shoulder contact to the head after the two send-offs on successive nights. The Fotuaika incident was far from the only controversy, with Watene-Zelezniak having his hair pulled on multiple occasions and referee Ben Cummins also sin-binning Warriors second-rower Marata Niukore over an incident involving David Fifita.

The Titans star took exception to a tackle from Niukore and appeared to be the instigator of the fracas as he pushed the Warriors player in the face before playing the ball. Niukore responded with what commentators described as a tame slap to Fifita's cheek, and was duly sent to the bin. Bizarrely, Fifita escaped punishment.

“This was ridiculous. Fifita was the instigator here, Marata Niukore just goes back into marker and Fifita absolutely initiates contact, pushes him in the face,” Corey Parker said on Fox League.

“Niukore with a lazy little push back and he gets 10 off the back of that. If Fifita is able to do that with ball in hand and stay on the field, it’s ridiculous. For the fans at home that sit and watch the footy, they have no idea like we do. It was a ridiculous call.”

Parker's sentiment was echoed across the NRL world, with fans also taking to social media to slam the Fotuaika send off. Viewers described the officiating as "embarrassing" and called on the NRL to do better.

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