North Queensland prop Coen Hess has received a considerable suspension following a dangerous tackle, which former player Andrew Johns seeks to eliminate from rugby league. Hess faces a grade two dangerous contact charge and must choose between accepting a three-game ban or contesting it, risking an extension to four weeks. Given that the Cowboys have a bye in round 27, this suspension could see him sidelined for the remainder of the season unless they successfully challenge the ruling.
The incident occurred early in the match against Parramatta when fullback Joash Papalii was hit high by teammates Reuben Cotter and Jeremiah Nanai. As Papalii fell, Hess made a low tackle that visibly bent the player’s leg in a dangerous manner. Despite being placed on report for the tackle, Hess expressed remorse for his actions.
Johns condemned the tackle, calling it “horrible” and emphasised the necessity of removing such dangerous plays from the sport, particularly criticising the involvement of a third player targeting a player’s knees.
Despite the penalty against Hess, the Cowboys managed to take an early lead when Jaxon Purdue scored shortly after the incident. The Eels protested a penalty awarded against J’maine Hopgood for crowding, but their complaints fell on deaf ears as Zac Laybutt added two points from the resulting penalty.
The momentum shifted in the final minutes of the first half, where the Eels fought back, with Josh Addo-Carr scoring two tries. Ultimately, Parramatta triumphed with a 19-18 victory, marking a challenging day for the Cowboys, as Hess was not the only player to be reported; Junior Paulo also faced a suspension for a high tackle later in the game.