Will Latu Fainu’s heavy ban force Benji Marshall to gamble on rookie?

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Wests Tigers rookie Javon Andrews is firming to make his NRL debut after Latu Fainu was hit with a three-match ban at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night.

Fainu pleaded not guilty to a controversial grade-three dangerous contact charge, which featured him going low and upending Canterbury prop Leo Thompson into a dangerous position during Saturday’s 32-0 loss.

Latu Fainu arrives at NRL HQ on Tuesday night.Janie Barrett/SMH

There was a lot of commentary about the tackle and whether Fainu was unlucky to go to the sin-bin let alone be charged.

Stunned Immortal Andrew Johns said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show: “He’s done nothing wrong, he’s tackled low. You can’t take accidents out of the game ... it’s not even a penalty.”

“You can’t tackle high because you’ll chin them … and you can’t go low? Where are you supposed to hit them?”

NRL counsel Lachlan Gyles argued that “this is a very important case because we don’t see the tackle often”, adding that “it was akin to being hit with a blunt instrument”.

Not only did Thompson risk injury to his neck, Gyles said, but there was also a chance to do damage to Thompson’s knees.

Latu Fainu’s tackle on Leo Thompson.NRL

Fainu’s lawyer Nick Ghabar put the blame on Thompson, and said, “an accidental series of events” instigated by the prop caused him to flip over.

Panel members Tony Puletua and Paul Simpkins were satisfied it was dangerous and could have caused an injury to Thompson’s knee or neck.

Ghabar quickly challenged the grading in the hope of having the ban reduced to two matches, but the panel was told Fainu had received two concerning act notices for similar tackles.

While Tigers teammate Adam Doueihi is free to play after he had his own careless high tackle charge downgraded earlier in the night at the judiciary, the Fainu suspension means Andrews, 19, is a huge chance of playing his first NRL game against the Raiders on Saturday.

Coach Benji Marshall did not muck around by naming Andrews, a Queensland junior, in the No. 7 jersey for the club’s must-win game in the nation’s capital.

There was speculation Andrews would be given a taste of first grade if the Tigers lost their next couple of games, and looked set to miss the finals for a 15th straight year.

But the Fainu setback is likely to force Marshall’s hand, with Andrews every chance to come off the bench and spend time with Doueihi and Parramatta-bound Jarome Luai.

Doueihi, meanwhile, was relieved he was never banned for a high shot on Dogs’ forward Harry Hayes.

Had he lost in seeking a downgrade, Doueihi risked being banned for two games, but left NRL HQ with a $1000 fine.

“I love being out there with the boys and trying to help turn our season around again – I’ve got the opportunity to go to Canberra, they’re coming off the back of a few wins, and we’ll go there with an ambush mentality,” Doueihi said.

Gyles said the level of force in Doueihi’s tackle “was moderate, not low”, and the way he raced out of the line meant there was little room to amend his tackling target.

Adam Doueihi arrives at the NRL judiciary.Janie Barrett/SMH

Ghabar said Hayes did not require a head injury assessment, and the contact to the head was with Doueihi’s bicep – not his shoulder. The first contact, he said, was also with the leg and torso.

The panel agreed the contact to the head was “secondary”, and Doueihi tried to steady himself before he tackled Hayes.

Fifita ban adds to Bunnies woes

The news for South Sydney somehow got worse on Tuesday evening when David Fifita failed to have a dangerous contact charge downgraded at the judiciary.

Already without skipper Cameron Murray (calf), Tallis Duncan (hamstring), and with no clear return date for Latrell Mitchell (calf), the last thing Souths needed was to lose another experienced player like Fifita for Friday’s all-important clash against Melbourne.

David Fifita failed in his bid to have a dangerous contact charge downgraded on Tuesday night.Janie Barrett/SMH

Fifita landed in hot water for lashing out with his boot into the side of Hudson Young’s head just after half-time last Saturday.

Gyles said the level of carelessness was high, and Canberra backrower Young had no way of protecting himself.

Ghabar argued the tackle was no worse than Tyrell Sloan’s effort on Sam Walker during a 2024 Anzac Day clash. On that occasion, St George Illawarra flyer Sloan was trying to free himself to play the ball, and was hit with a grade-one dangerous contact offence.

Ghabar also claimed Fifita’s actions were not intentional, the level of force was “at the bottom end”, and the referee, sideline official and bunker all felt no need to take the matter any further during the actual game.

The guilty verdict means Fifita will also be forced to miss the following weeks’ clash against Cronulla. Tom Fletcher was named on the extended bench, but is likely to start in the backrow against the Storm.

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