New South Wales five-eighth Jarome Luai has been penalised 13 per cent of his match fee for an incident deemed an eye gouge against Queensland’s Reuben Cotter, which rugby league commentator Andrew Johns remarked “looked bad”. This event was part of a series of unfortunate mistakes by the Blues during the first half, which allowed the Maroons to establish a considerable lead that NSW ultimately failed to recover from.
Just before half-time, with Queensland leading 20-6, Nathan Cleary appeared to secure a try but was thwarted when replays revealed that teammate Stefano Utoikamanu obstructed Queensland’s Pat Carrigan. Utoikamanu’s retreat towards the action led to a critical penalty, as his presence contributed significantly to Cleary’s failure.
Earlier in the match, NSW second-rower Liam Martin exhibited a moment of brilliance by forcing a knock-on from Tino Fa’asuamaleaui but then committed a handling error in the Blues’ following set, which allowed Queensland to score again through Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, extending their lead to 12-6.
Luai’s incident occurred in the 22nd minute, resulting in his report for alleged eye gouging. Post-match, commentators suggested the action might not have been as severe as it appeared in slow motion. It was determined that Luai’s conduct fell under grade two contrary conduct.
The Blues’ difficulties continued, with Angus Crichton penalised for a high tackle on teammate Robert Toia shortly after, highlighting a pattern of ill-discipline within the NSW side. Zac Lomax also found himself in trouble, elbowing Trent Loiero in the face during a tackle, resulting in a grade one dangerous contact charge and a seven per cent fine of his match fee. This incident warranted a penalty that allowed Queensland to extend their lead to 14-6.
These missteps from the Blues not only undermined their performance but reinforced the importance of maintaining discipline in such crucial matches.