By Christian Nicolussi
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium: St George Illawarra hit back at allegations Kyle Flanagan bit Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton who finished Saturday night’s game with a bloody nose.
The Dogs triumphed over the Dragons 28-10 to remind the rugby league world they are the real deal – and top-four contenders.
Dragons five-eighth Kyle Flanagan was accused of biting Stephen Crichton during this tackle.Credit: Fox Sports
Dragons prop Hame Sele was rushed to hospital in an ambulance because of an irregular heartbeat before half-time – but the real drama started to unfold after the game when there were reports Crichton was bitten by the son of the Dragons’ coach.
TV footage showed Crichton react when laying on top of former Bulldogs player Flanagan. He later appeared with blood on his nose.
Crichton did not make an on-field complaint, but was clearly upset by the incident at the time. He did not want to comment as he left the ground. Crichton later uploaded an Instagram story, which included a few light-hearted references to Flanagan being “hungry”.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo remained tight-lipped and said after the game: “His nose is a bit swollen. He’s getting a few things checked. I don’t know what to say about it. I’ll leave it there.”
Biting is regarded as one of the most serious offences in rugby league. The match review committee will study all angles of the tackle on Sunday morning.
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan had no idea about the incident straight after the game, but told this masthead late Saturday: “Kyle said he didn’t do it. I believe him, 100 per cent.
“I’ve watched the footage, Kyle showed it to me, he [Crichton] is pushing his face into him while Kyle is on the ground.”
Fox League commentators were convinced it was a bite from the vision, with Mal Meninga admitting during the coverage: “That was hard to watch, and it’s hard evidence.
“There’s no doubt that he’s bitten him. And obviously the repercussions of that is Stephen’s nose is bleeding. A pretty hard one to disprove to be honest with you.”
Cooper Cronk added: “Biting is something that is not allowed, completely not allowed, on the rugby league field.
“We’ve seen other players receive long suspensions when that’s happened, that’s the first I’ve seen of it, but that is damning evidence … Kyle Flanagan might be in some trouble.”
Flanagan senior was frustrated in his side’s performance, especially after they scored an historic first win in Melbourne against the competition leaders just seven days earlier.
Sele played the opening 20 minutes before he came from the field, and club medicos later conducted some tests in the sheds before calling an ambulance. For the record, Dane Gagai had an irregular heartbeat during a game in 2015, but was given the all clear to return for the Knights the following week.
“He’s been taken to hospital in an ambulance, it’s a bit of a concern, but I don’t want to comment too much on it because I don’t know the full details,” Flanagan said.
“Those 18 points [in the first half] we couldn’t get back, we weren’t humming offensively, we just couldn’t find anything to attack – we couldn’t get our rhythm.”
Dragons forward Hame Sele stops the Bulldogs’ Josh Curran before leaving the field.Credit: Getty Images
Adding to the Dragons’ woes was the sight of Suli coming from the field late in the second half with a knee injury. Blake Lawrie also appeared troubled by a shoulder injury late in the game.
The Dragons risk dropping out of the top eight by the end of the weekend following the defeat.
The home side, cheered on by an 18,000-strong crowd – there was also a healthy dose of blue and white for the Dogs – started the second half well, but lacked the polish at the end of most of their sets.
Canterbury were physical and had no issues scoring points. They spent the best part of 18 months mastering the defensive structures coach Ciraldo had implemented, and now they look good when they have the ball in hand.
Toby Sexton had a hand in two Bulldogs tries on Saturday night.Credit: Getty Images
Halfback Sexton gets better every week, and was excellent in setting up Bronson Xerri for a first-half double.
Viliame Kikau was busy and at his barnstorming best in his 150th game, with his only crime new ghastly bleached locks for his milestone.
Turbo-charged victory over Canberra
Manly have crushed Canberra’s NRL finals hopes with a see-sawing 46-24 victory at GIO Stadium.
Tom Trbojevic looked back to his best with two tries and two try assists, scoring his 99th and 100th career four-pointers in a lethal Sea Eagles attacking display on Saturday afternoon.
But the two teams’ performances were not as far away as the scoreline suggests.
Two pivotal refereeing decisions took the game away from the Raiders.
Canberra looked the better side for much of the first half but were deprived of a try just before the interval with scores still level.
Adam Cook appeared to have dropped the ball after being sent in on the Manly tryline by Hudson Young. But video replays showed the young utility smartly stuck a toe out before the ball hit the ground.
Tom Trbojevic scored twice against the Raiders on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
His try was not allowed to stand, however, as referee Grant Atkins had blown the whistle before Cook was given a chance to ground the ball.
Minutes later, Trbojevic wheeled away from a tackle and sliced through Canberra’s defence before finding Ethan Bullemor to give the visitors a six-point lead into the break.
Then in the second half, Raiders prop Joseph Tapine was sent to the sin bin for dissent after disagreeing with the bunker’s interpretation of a lifting tackle on Jamal Fogarty.
The Sea Eagles made the most of their numerical advantage, scoring four-pointers through Taniela Paseka, Luke Brooks and Trbojevic in Tapine’s absence.
The win gives Manly a crucial two points in the congested race for the NRL’s top eight.
Canberra will likely have to win all four of their remaining fixtures, including a high-stakes home game against Penrith, to make the finals.
It was a disappointing end to an afternoon that had started with such promise for the home side.
If GIO Stadium had a roof, it would’ve lifted off when Josh Papalii opened the scoring.
Canberra’s favourite adopted son crashed over in the 10th minute of his 301st NRL game to the delight of more than 100 family and friends who made the trip down from Queensland.
After Trbojevic levelled the scores a couple of minutes later, young fullback Kaeo Weekes sliced through the Manly defence to get the Raiders back in front.
But tries to Tommy Talua, Bullemor, Daly Cherry-Evans and Lehi Hopoate swung the game back in the Sea Eagles’ favour, before Tapine’s sin-binning.
Consolation tries to Sebastian Kris and Xavier Savage added some respectability to the scoreline but did little to raise the Raiders’ spirits.
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