Panthers’ fifth-straight victory comes at a cost
Jasper Bruce |
Izack Tago has become the second Penrith player in a month to be banned for a hip-drop-style tackle that was missed by the on-field referee.
Tago has been offered a one-game suspension for the shot that injured Kitione Kautoga late in the first half of the Panthers’ 32-10 win over Parramatta on Sunday.
Eels second-rower Kautoga was unable to finish the game, with coach Jason Ryles indicating he had suffered a syndesmosis injury in his left ankle.
“He’ll probably miss a couple of weeks now. He’s in a boot,” Ryles said.
“We’ve had a couple of syndesmosis this year, so our performance team’s had a bit of practice on rehabbing them.”
Ryles would not be drawn to comment on Tago’s tackle, other than to say it was “very” frustrating that referee Peter Gough had not paid the Eels a penalty at the time.
Less than a minute after Kautoga limped from the field, the Panthers took the half-time lead through Luke Garner and never trailed again.
Tago will miss Friday’s match against South Sydney if he pleads guilty to grade-two dangerous contact, and would risk also missing the next game against Wests Tigers by challenging the charge.
His ban comes after Panthers teammate Scott Sorensen accepted a two-game ban for the hip-drop-style tackle that injured Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s ankle in the round-16 win over the Warriors.
On that occasion, Sorensen also went unpenalised on-field, though he was placed on report at halftime.
Four-time premiership-winner Sorensen is set to return from suspension and face the Rabbitohs at CommBank Stadium, where the Panthers will hunt a sixth consecutive win.
Penrith could keep Paul Alamoti in the backline for that game following a strong performance against the Eels, or may move Garner to the centres in Tago’s place.
AAP
