Morgan Turinui expressed his astonishment at the Queensland Reds’ Hunter Paisami facing a prolonged suspension following an unpunished tackle on Lalomilo Lalomilo during the Reds’ 56-36 win over Moana Pasifika. The incident occurred in the 30th minute when Paisami made a crucial stop that prevented a likely try. However, Lalomilo had to leave the game due to the collision.
Despite the referees not penalising Paisami during the match, he has since been cited for a dangerous tackle, which the citing commissioner deemed to meet the threshold for a red card. Commenting on the situation during an analysis on Stan Sport, former player Justin Harrison noted the severity of the collision, suggesting Lalomilo was not in a good condition after the impact.
Both Turinui and fellow ex-Wallaby Nick Phipps discussed the possibility of Paisami receiving a suspension. Turinui predicted a penalty of at least six weeks, highlighting that the citing of Paisami by the commissioner—rather than a referee—indicates a seriousness about the incident. He reiterated that the referees were satisfied with their on-field judgement.
Turinui defended the decision made during the match, stating that while the tackle was forceful and resulted in head contact, he believed it did not constitute foul play. He reasoned that Paisami was attempting to save a try and was in a proper body position, but the late dip by Lalomilo caused unavoidable head contact, which complicated the tackle’s legality.
With the citing now under review, Paisami’s case will undergo scrutiny by SANZAAR’s foul play review committee, where his plea will be considered. Given his prior record, the potential penalties could be further compounded, leaving the outcome uncertain as the rugby community anticipates the committee’s decision on Paisami’s future on the field.