Parramatta Eels rocked by brutal Maika Sivo blow on eve of NRL season
Maika Sivo has been hit with a grade-two careless high-tackle charge following the Eels' trial win over the Titans.
The Parramatta Eels have been dealt a blow just days out from the start of the NRL season after Maika Sivo was charged for a high shot on Gold Coast star AJ Brimson. The Eels winger was hit with a grade-two careless high-tackle charge following the Eels' trial win over the Titans on Sunday.
Sivo jammed in off his left wing and struck Brimson high just after he had passed the ball. The tackle floored the Titans star and resulted in him being forced off the field.
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On the back of a 2023 season riddled with misdemeanours, Sivo's challenge on Brimson means he will face a three-game ban with an early guilty plea. If the Parramatta star opts to fight the charge at the judiciary and loses he will be handed an additional one-game suspension.
Sivo was charged six times in 2023 and was suspended for four matches for a similar tackle against the Titans in round 20 last year when he hit Jojo Fifita high. The Fijian took his chances at the judiciary but was unsuccessful.
This part of the game is annoying and reactive to injury. AKP hit’s Russell as much as Sivo hits AJ Brimson. But Russell gets up, no penalty or report. AJ stays down, Sivo on report. #NRL https://t.co/ADHfGt7bYd
— Freddie Faraj (@FreddieFaraj) February 25, 2024
Protest the grading if you want, but Sivo needs to stop putting himself in this situation.
Hit someone high, you roll the dice with the MRC. https://t.co/w42rOtpGQA— The Cumberland Throw (@EelsTCT) February 26, 2024
This guy is a liability. Giving him a new contract was foolish. We need youth, speed and energy. He gets suspended too often with this pop out of the line and hit, technique and he refuses to do tough carries. Fall over the line merchant.
— Eels make me wanna end it (@corpsebloatedPG) February 26, 2024
This Sivo charge already exposes the glaring depth issue we already knew with our squad. We need a NRL ready extra winger. Easier said than done #PARRAdise
— KrissyDot (@KDiddyOfficial) February 26, 2024
Difference is Sivo has a track record. 3 of the same high shot in a row. MRC coming down hard now hoping to change his behaviour.
— RichitiGrub (@WSWanderingEels) February 26, 2024
Mitchell Moses confident of a better year in 2024
Sivo's charge soured the Eels' impressive 26-16 trial win over Gold Coast on Sunday, where the side showed glimpses of the form that saw them reach the grand final in 2022. Mitchell Moses' connection with Clint Gutherson and Dylan Brown was on full display and it gave the Eels halfback confidence that the side can begin better than last year, when they found themselves 14th after eight rounds.
"We definitely want to start the season well and not chase our tail like last year," Moses said. "If we can start well, we'll put ourselves in a good position to play at the back end of the year, but we need to take it week by week and see how we go."
While Sunday's victory was only a trial, Moses believes his connection with Gutherson and Brown is coming together nicely. "It's the first time that we've had a full pre-season under our belt from November together for probably five or six years," Moses said.
"We've linked up pretty well at training and it's a good headache for (coach) Brad Arthur to have going into round one - we've almost got everyone fit and ready to go. We came back that early and the pre-season was that long, that I got to do everything possible at training. We weren't happy with how we played last year and so we got away a bit and then we've been back for 16 weeks or so. It's been good to have that. If we're not fit and ready to go now, we're in some strife."
with AAP
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