Damien Cook's shock call on QLD star after breaking Api Koroisau's jaw

Rampaging Maroons enforcer Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has found a shock ally in NSW rival Damien Cook as debate swirls over his running style and an incident that left Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau with a broken jaw. Cook earned a Blues recall when the injury ruled Koroisau out of the State of Origin Game II showdown at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.

Despite the serious nature of the injury to Koroisau - who is expected to miss a minimum six weeks - Tino escaped charge over the incident and is free to play for Queensland in Origin. It comes after the Maroons big man was also involved in a similar incident with Canterbury's Reed Mahoney, that saw him hit with a fine for dangerous contact and resulted in Mahoney going off for an HIA.

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Speaking at Blues camp before he comes face-to-face with Tino in Origin next week, Cook said he didn't believe the Queensland forward had any issues with his technique. Cook said he didn't experience any problems tackling the big man when the Rabbitohs played the Titans earlier this month.

“I didn’t have any contact where that happened to me,” Cook said. “You’d like to think there’s no intent in what he’s doing and it’s just a running technique where he wants to try to bump and find some space.

“It’s such a hard one because you don’t really know if front-rowers are just coming in with their bumpers up trying to do that or whether they are trying to cause a bit of damage. I wouldn’t think so.

“I’ve obviously seen those two incidents, and it’s tough because a lot of front-rowers do it. I don’t know how you can fix it because I don’t think there was any intent there, but there are two hookers who he did get hit in the head. I guess I’m in the firing line.”

Api Koroisau incident divides league world

Plenty of league greats such as Gorden Tallis insist the onus is on the tackler to get his head away from danger and injuries that occur for tacklers who fail to do so, are down to poor technique.

However, NRL 360 host Braith Anasta exploded on air about the issue this week, suggesting the NRL had failed in their job to protect the head of players by letting Tino off. Fans were also left fuming that he escaped suspension after describing the Koroisau incident as "disgusting".

“Can I just say something? This is my opinion... The game has changed significantly over the years. The NRL has introduced the HIAs, they’re trying to protect players while playing the game and post-footy,” Anasta said on NRL 360 this week. “Now all of a sudden, when you’re defending you can’t attack or go near the head but when you’ve got the ball in hand it doesn’t matter?”

Damien Cook sympathises with Api Koroisau

Cook admits he feels gutted for Koroisau, even though the Tigers skipper's injury has presented the veteran Rabbitohs rake with an Origin recall. “It’s unfortunate what happened to Api and you don’t want to see that happen at all,” Cook said. "Reed (Mahoney) came off with an HIA and then Api came off with a really bad injury which means he misses out here but it also hurts the Tigers.

They’re starting to play some really good footy and they’ve started to find some combinations in attack, but now they’ve lost him for 10 weeks and we’ve lost him for the Blues. If that didn’t happen then he’d be starting next week and he’d be starting all three games.”

Cook will form half of a dual-hooker combination with Blues bench utility Reece Robson in Game II. The Souths star admits he was impressed by his Cowboys counterpart in NSW camp last year and backed the classy No.9 to "thrive" at Suncorp Stadium.

"It was only a matter of time before Reece was going to wear this jersey," Cook said. "He came into camp with us before and I thought then he had the skill-set, he had the toughness. He's going to thrive in this arena."

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