Wests Tigers players Sunia Turuva and Samuela Fainu were involved in a heated exchange with Raiders’ hooker Tom Starling following the Tigers’ 33-14 victory at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday night. While most players were exchanging congratulatory remarks, Turuva and Starling were caught on camera arguing before tugging at each other’s jerseys, necessitating intervention from teammates.
The altercation seemingly stemmed from a penalty awarded to the Tigers in the first half, where Starling was penalised for high contact on Turuva, despite video replays indicating the contact was minimal. Following this decision by referee Ashley Klein, tensions heightened, leading to further confrontations on the field.
Post-match, Tigers coach Benji Marshall focused on the “inconsistency of the refereeing” rather than the altercation. His comments came after skipper Api Koroisau faced significant scrutiny for his penalties during the match, including being placed on report twice — once for a hip-drop tackle on Noah Martin and another for a lifting tackle on Zac Hosking.
Koroisau’s sin binning for the hip drop occurred during a crucial moment in the game, highlighting ongoing concerns about his tackling technique, as he has now been cited multiple times this season for dangerous contact. Marshall expressed frustration over how these decisions impacted the game, questioning where Koroisau was expected to position himself in a cover tackle situation.
While the post-match focus leaned towards officiating concerns, there was still much for Tigers fans to celebrate. Halfback Adam Doueihi delivered an impressive performance, scoring two tries and contributing significantly to the team’s success, strengthening his selection prospects for the New South Wales squad ahead of the upcoming State of Origin series. Marshall praised Doueihi’s game management and versatility, aligning with calls from rugby league legend Andrew Johns for the halfback’s inclusion in the representative squad.
Looking ahead, the Tigers are set to face challenges as they embark on two away matches against the Sharks and Melbourne, with Marshall hopeful that his team will build on their solid form, despite the issues surrounding officiating and the potential absence of Koroisau.