Debate rages after Storm player unpunished for ugly moment against Warriors

By Andrew McMurtry

A debate over inconsistency in the NRL has once again erupted after Melbourne Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona was left unpunished for an ugly moment early in Melbourne's clash against the Warriors on Friday night.

The Storm snapped a four-game losing streak in the 24-12 win in Auckland but fans thought Asofa-Solomona had landed in hot water for his fourth minute contact on Warriors hooker Wayde Egan.

As part of a three-man tackle, Asofa-Solomona was over the top and as Egan was brought to ground, the Storm forward appeared to grind his elbow in the Warriors star's head.

Egan was left clutching his jaw on the ground, looking concerned as the bunker reviewed what happened.

Referee Peter Gough put Asofa-Solomona on report but he was allowed to stay on the field.

Egan did return after a head injury assessment in the 20th minute and played the remainder of the match.

Footy greats Gorden Tallis and Greg Alexander both believed Asofa-Solomona would be facing suspension.

"If you watched last night, and we are talking about Jared Waerea-Hargreaves with his elbow, I think this has a little bit more force in it," Tallis said.

"I think this is a little bit more deliberate. They are both deliberate, but I just don't like this one.

"If I was referee, he has got to spend time in the sin bin, absolutely.

"Jamming him into the ground. He knew exactly where he was. When you look at a situation where he knows where the player's head is and I think that he knows."

The Waerea-Hargreaves incident came when the Roosters star gave away a penalty while in possession after he rubbed his elbow into the neck of Sea Eagles debutant Zac Fulton on Thursday.

Waerea-Hargreaves was handed a $3000 fine with an early guilty plea, or two matches if he fights the charge and loses.

"He contacted with force, that's why players go to the bin," Alexander said.

"If Waerea-Hargreaves was charged with grade one contact and he just had his elbow there and pushed down.

"Nelson has come from a height and come down on the head of Wayde Egan. That has got to be a grade three dangerous contact.

"That could have quite easily broken his jaw and I thought that when he walked off."

However, Asofa-Solomona was not cited at all by the Match Review Committee.

It wasn't the only issue from the match, which raised questions as Storm lock Josh King appeared to put his fingers in the eye of Warriors forward Jazz Tevaga — an incident similar to the one which saw Bulldogs player Corey Waddell slapped with a five-match ban last week.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission