Eels centre Will Penisini has successfully cleared his name at the NRL judiciary, being found not guilty of a grade one careless high tackle. Following a match against the Titans, where he was penalised for high contact on Beau Fermor, Penisini was initially fined $1,800. However, he chose to contest this penalty.
Had he been found guilty, he faced a potential fine of $2,500. The incident occurred in the 12th minute of Parramatta’s disappointing defeat to the Gold Coast, where Penisini’s tackle followed team-mate Mitch Moses’ low tackle on Fermor, leading to the high-contact ruling.
Despite the scrutiny surrounding his tackle, feedback during commentary was minimal, and the decision was met with displeasure from Penisini. Remarkably, he was the only player charged from the encounter, even though Jayden Campbell was also reported for a tackle deemed dangerous but ultimately not severe enough to incur a fine.
In round six, the match review committee reported nine players for careless high tackles, with notable penalties including bans for Casey McLean and Patrick Carrigan, and the highest fine of $3,000 imposed on Trent Loiero for repeated offences.
Penisini’s successful appeal allows him to continue his performance without the burden of an increased financial penalty.