New South Wales five-eighth Jarome Luai has been fined 13% of his match fee for an incident involving Queensland’s Reuben Cotter, which was perceived as an eye gouge. Commentator Andrew Johns noted that the incident “looked bad” and led to Luai being placed on report during a match where NSW players struggled with discipline, allowing the Maroons to establish a significant lead.
The controversy peaked right before halftime when NSW’s Nathan Cleary appeared poised to score. However, a review revealed that player Stefano Utoikamanu obstructed Pat Carrigan while retreating back into the defensive line, resulting in a penalty and a missed scoring opportunity for Cleary’s team.
The match was marred by several key mistakes from the Blues’ players. In the 17th minute, Liam Martin made headlines for both a strong hit on Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and a subsequent handling error that led to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scoring another try for Queensland, which extended their lead to 12-6.
Luai’s eye gouge incident occurred in the 22nd minute, resulting in a grade two contrary conduct charge. Although commentators argued it might not have been as severe as it appeared, pundit Cameron Smith anticipated that Luai would face only a fine.
Other players also faced scrutiny for their actions. Angus Crichton was penalised for a high tackle on teammate Robert Toia, while Zac Lomax was reported for elbowing Trent Loiero in the face during a tackle, resulting in Loiero needing a head injury assessment. Lomax received a grade one dangerous contact charge and was fined 7% of his match fee.
Overall, the discipline issues contributed significantly to NSW’s inability to mount a comeback against Queensland, shifting momentum in favour of the Maroons as they sought to capitalise on the Blues’ mistakes.