See the shocking video that has made Jarome Luai public enemy No 1 in Queensland - as NSW star learns his fate
Jarome Luai has been cleared of an eye gouge, but will still face a fine of close to $4000 from the NRL for rubbing Reuben Cotter's face in State of Origin II.
Luai's Origin return threatened to be overshadowed by the incident on Wednesday night, after his hand rubbed across Cotter's face in NSW 's 26-24 loss.
Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga then made a raking action to sideline officials, before Luai was placed on report by referee Ashley Klein at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Luai was hit with a grade-two contrary conduct charge, which AAP understands was for unnecessary contact with an opponent's face.
That would ordinarily result in a ban, but due to rules for Origin and finals matches Luai can accept a fine of $3900.
NSW coach Laurie Daley defended the incident after the match, following the Blues' failed comeback from 26-6 down.
'I thought it was just a facial,' Daley said.
'We saw a fair few of them in game one too.'
But some fans on X disagreed.
'Hudson got 5 weeks for eye gouging…. This was clear and obvious!!! need to be consistent and suspend him for minimum 5 weeks!!' one fan wrote on X.
Another wrote: 'How is he still on the field.'
'Not even a single bin for an eye gouge like honestly,' one fan wrote.
'Why is he not sent off,' another added.
Luai had an unhappy opening 40 minutes after being called back into the NSW team for the injured Mitch Moses, putting his first kick out on the full.
Footy fans took to X to question why Luai wasn't sent off for the incident during the first half
But like most of the Blues, he was far better in the second, helping lay on three tries for NSW.
NSW winger Zac Lomax is also facing a fine of $2100, after elbowing Trent Loiero in the face as he got up to play-the-ball.
The incidents summed up the first 40 minutes of the game for NSW, who conceded eight penalties before the break and didn't receive one.
The count ended 10-2, in a dramatic reversal from the series opener when NSW won both the penalty count and match.
Asked about the count, NSW coach Laurie Daley momentarily remained silent before eventually responding: 'I can't tell you what I really think'.
Blues captain Isaah Yeo conceded the fault still laid with his own team.
'There were certainly a few we were shooting ourselves with and they're just penalties,' Yeo said.
'Some others were 50-50s. Some nights you get them and some nights you don't.
'But what you can't do is just go drop the ball in the next set when you've got the ball.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Man dead and another fighting for his life after a tragic car rollover
The passenger of a sedan has died after the car lost control on the south coast of New South Wales. Emergency services were called to Sapphire Coast Drive at Tura Beach, roughly 252km from Canberra, at about 7.30pm on Saturday after reports of a vehicle rollover. Officers attached to the South Coast Police District were told a white sedan had allegedly lost control before it rolled. Paramedics at the scene treated the driver, a man believed to be in his 30s, and his passenger, a man believed to be in his 40s. Both in a critical condition, they were taken to South East Regional Hospital in Bega. The driver was later airlifted to Canberra Hospital for specialist care. Just after 11pm on the same day, police were told the passenger, who is yet to be formally identified, had died at the hospital. A crime scene was established and officers have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident. A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner. Anyone with information or a dashcam footage has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
The Lions have a real problem at full-back – but one man can fix it
Defeat at the Aviva Stadium brought disappointment and dejection for Andy Farrell and his British and Irish Lions, but 700 miles away another issue was simmering which has the potential to be far more damaging to Farrell's tourists further down the line than a friendly loss to Los Pumas. It was at the first of two Top 14 semi-finals in Lyon that a Lions quandary deepened. Toulouse defeated Bayonne to book their place in next Saturday's Top 14 final in Paris – the winner of Bordeaux and Toulon await the reigning champions in the French capital – and on the left wing for the victors, playing the full 80 minutes, was the only missing piece in the Lions jigsaw. Blair Kinghorn, the Scottish utility back – but primarily a full-back – is the only member of Farrell's squad not yet to have linked up with his home nations team-mates. Had Bayonne defeated Toulouse on Friday night then chances are that the 28-year-old would have been on a flight this weekend to Australia, having missed only the loss against Argentina. Now, however, there is a spanner in the works: the Top 14 final kicks off at 9pm local time in Paris on Saturday, meaning the Scot will be unable to fly until Sunday at the earliest. By then, the Lions will have played their first match Down Under – against the Force in Perth on Saturday – and will be preparing for their next, against the Reds, the following Wednesday. With Kinghorn not logistically able to arrive in Queensland until the Monday at the earliest – and that is surely the best-case scenario – it is inconceivable that the Scot faces the Reds two days later; which means that the full-back will have missed the first three matches and, frankly, will have to hurry to get up to speed for the fourth, against the Waratahs the following Saturday. That gives Kinghorn that match in Sydney plus two more, if selected, to prove his worth ahead of the Test series. Given Toulouse's recent dominance and the depth of their glittering squad, Farrell and his coaches will have been aware of the Kinghorn conundrum from the off. Toulouse led the Top 14 by a stretch when the squad were selected and were overwhelming favourites against plucky Bayonne in Lyon on Friday. That context also goes some way to shedding light on how highly regarded Kinghorn is with the Lions management and why there are so few France-based players in the squad (Kinghorn is the only one but there were several others on the longer, pre-selection list). That Farrell is willing to give Kinghorn so much time away is proof enough that the Lions head coach believes there is a real chance of the Scot wearing the No 15 jersey for the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane. The imbroglio for Farrell is that, until that Waratahs match on July 5, his options to marshal the back field are not the most compelling: Hugo Keenan, the great Irishman who missed Leinster's United Rugby Championship final victory due to injury; Marcus Smith, a makeshift full-back who did not fully convince against Argentina; and Elliot Daly, who has started only one Test at full-back since 2020. Then there is Kinghorn, the favourite for many, valued by the coaches but in a race against time to be up to speed – and to prove he is the man for the job – ahead of a Test series. It is not a crisis for the Lions – Keenan, a genuine contender to start the first Test, is expected to be fit soon – but the situation is far from ideal. Smith had a chance to stake his claim for a Test jersey on Friday night but he did not take it. Among some admirable attempts to unlock the Argentina defence by himself, there was some sloppy passing and some questionable decision-making. Of course, this is not entirely the Harlequin's fault, with the Lions now following England's lead in not quite knowing how best to utilise Smith's X-factor. Smith's game-breaking ability is unquestionable but, at the minute, at Test level at least, the 26-year-old looks more a Jack of all trades rather than a master of one. I wrote earlier this year how Smith (and England) should embrace that versatility and have Smith become proficient enough at scrum-half so as to act as emergency cover – it would be a real fillip for a six-two bench split, too – and I stand by it. It is too late for the Lions to expedite such a manoeuvre; what might have been. With Smith not looking like a Lions Test full-back on Friday, and with Keenan's niggle, Farrell will be praying that Kinghorn comes through next Saturday unscathed. A direct flight from Paris to Brisbane on a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the world's fastest manned aircraft, might not be a bad shout, either.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Nick Kyrgios breaks silence on BBC axing as tennis star aims thinly-veiled dig at his replacement ahead of this summer's Wimbledon
Nick Kyrgios has hit out at the BBC after being dropped from their Wimbledon coverage — branding the decision 'very strange' and taking a not-so-subtle swipe at the man expected to replace him on the punditry panel. The Australian, who was praised for his insight and charisma during last year's tournament while recovering from a wrist injury, will not return to the BBC this summer. It is understood that American world No 108 Christopher Eubanks has been lined up instead. Kyrgios, who has beaten each member of the so-called 'Big Four' — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — expressed his bemusement at the call. 'It's unfortunate but it's probably their loss more than mine,' he told The Guardian. 'I understand they've got Chris Eubanks, but he hasn't beaten the greatest of all time multiple times. When someone's beaten Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic and has incredible insights, it's very strange you wouldn't want that person adding knowledge to tennis fans.' Eubanks, 29, reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2023 and has also developed a strong reputation as a pundit in the US, working for the Tennis Channel, ESPN, and TNT Sports. Kyrgios added: 'I'm sure our paths will cross again. I only ever want to add humour, some knowledge and some great atmosphere.' The 30-year-old has not competed at Wimbledon since reaching the 2022 final, where he lost to Djokovic. He is currently recovering from another injury setback and has ruled himself out of this year's Championships. However, he insists he plans to return to the court during the North American hard court swing later this summer. 'Yes, for sure,' he said. 'I'm definitely playing the US swing and I'll take it one day at a time.' Kyrgios's omission comes as Andy Murray also confirmed he has turned down the chance to return to the BBC studio. The two-time Wimbledon champion suggested that punditry was not the right fit for him at this stage. Speaking to GQ, Murray said: 'You can just throw stuff out there. People love it if it's a bit controversial, but you don't actually have any skin in the game. I'd be more inclined to do coaching.' The BBC has yet to officially announce its full broadcast line-up for Wimbledon 2025, which gets underway on June 30.
