Winning Starts Monday:

Winning Starts Monday

Brad Walter's weekly column on the World Cup wash up from the weekend of rugby league action around the globe

SAM

·        Soliola’s facing long ban
·        Relief over Smith
·        Bremner injury fears
·        Fiji bid for NRL games
·        Vaivai’s 28-point haul for USA

Soliola suspension may impact on Samoa’s World Cup campaign

Sia Soliola is in danger of missing the opening match of Samoa’s Rugby League World Cup campaign against New Zealand after the Canberra forward was referred directly to the NRL tribunal on an ungraded dangerous contact charge for the tackle which knocked out Billy Slater.

With Canberra unlikely to make the NRL finals after their controversial 18-12 loss to Melbourne, anything longer than a six match ban would impact on Soliola’s involvement for Samoa in the World Cup as well as ending his season for the Raiders.

The fact Soliola has been ordered to front the tribunal means the NRL will seek a higher penalty than the 300 demerit points for a grade three charge, which equates to a three match suspension, and the veteran backrower is likely to be facing at least double that length of time on the sidelines.

He will also have 20 per cent loading for a previous non-similar offence added to his penalty, increasing a six-match ban to seven matches and ruling him out of Samoa’s clash with the Kiwis at Mt Smart Stadium on October 28.

Players referred directly to the tribunal are rarely afforded a 25 per cent discount for pleading guilty.

It is expected that the NRL’s case will be based on the fact that Soliola’s fist was clenched, the point of contact was with the side of Slater’s jaw and the hit was late, while the Raiders will argue that the former Australian fullback’s body height dropped significantly and suddenly just before the tackle.

The NRL gave an indication of how seriously the incident was viewed by issuing a statement by referees boss Tony Archer within an hour of fulltime in Canberra on Saturday night confirming that Soliola should have been the first player sent off since David Shillington in 2015.

Commentators and former players, including Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, Mark Carroll, Braith Anasta and Ryan Girdler, were all of the opinion that Soliola deserved to be sent off, although Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen believes match officials acted correctly.

Sigh of relief over Smith injury

Slater and Cameron Smith are in doubt for the Storm’s match against Manly this Sunday after both failed to finish the match against Canberra but the good news for the Storm and Australia is that Smith’s pectoral muscle injury is not serious.

Many believe that Melbourne can not win the NRL premiership without Smith and his absence would have the same impact on Australia’s World Cup hopes but the Kangaroos captain received good news when scans showed he had sustained only a minor tear.

Storm football director Frank Ponissi said the new was a welcome relief.

"There was concern he had a tear or strain to the major muscle and if he remained on the field that could've been his season so we didn't muck around, we got him straight off and he had scans yesterday which revealed it was the minor part of his muscle,” Ponissi told SEN radio on Monday.

"He's a rough chance of playing Sunday although it's likely the week after or two after that."

Ponissi said Slater was gradually recovering from the 51st minute hit by Soliola but he remains in doubt for the match against the Sea Eagles.

"Billy's obviously a bit ginger and fragile but considering what happened on Saturday night he's not too bad, it's one of those things we'll have to monitor during the week," he said.

"He was unconscious after the hit, pretty bad for the first hour or so after the game but in fairness he did recover quite well and it's a matter of just wait and see the next few days."

Bremner hopeful injury won’t rule her out of World Cup

Jillaroos coach Brad Donald is sweating on the results of scans on star fullback Sam Bremner’s ankle after she was forced from the field in Sunday’s Women’s Interstate Challenge at WIN Stadium.

Bremner was caught awkwardly in a tackle near her own line in the first half of NSW’s 22-6 defeat of Queensland and was carried off the field five minutes later after going down without being touched.

The 2013 World Cup player of the tournament was hopeful the injury would not sideline her from the Jillaroos title defence in November at Cronulla’s Southern Cross Group Stadium but was due to have scans on Monday.

"I've never hurt my ankle before. I just got tackled the wrong way, twisted my knee and my ankle on the line and pushed through the first half. I got it strapped up at half-time and then came back out but when I took off and exploded off it, it just popped,” Bremner told nrl.com.

"I thought I'd be able to push through it and get through it after I hurt it in the first half but I just took off and I could see the try-line and I reckon I would have been through but I heard two pops and it was gone.

Bremner showed her class in the time she was on the field, producing a stunning try-saving tackle on Heather Ballinger in the opening minutes before setting up rookie winger Jessica Sergis for the first try of her three tries for NSW.

A large crowd on the WIN Stadium hill were treated to a high quality clash as the players tried to secure berths in the Jillaroos team for the World Cup, while the match attracted a television audience of 47,000 on Fox Sports, out-rating the Women’s Cricket World Cup final (25,000).

Fiji keen for NRL matches

Fiji officials hope to follow up October’s pre-World Cup Tri-Series between the Bati, Australia and Papua New Guinea in Suva by hosting NRL matches over the next three seasons.

The tournament, which is being used by the countries as a warm-up for the World Cup, will also provide a major boost to the game in the Pacific nation and it is envisaged that the regular NRL matches will attract commerical support for Fiji’s bid for a team in the NSW Cup.

FNRL chief executive Timoci Naleba said two NRL matches per year could be played from the 2018 season if funding is approved by the Fiji Government later this month.

“There have been teams expressing their interest to come but…the teams we are going to engage is still being considered,” Naleba told ABC Radio’s Pacific Beat program.

“We don’t want to start any conversation with teams until the government has given an intention to support the idea.”

Vaivai stars in USA win over Jamaica

A 28-point haul by former NRL star Junior Vaivai spearheaded USA Hawks to a 48-6 defeat of Jamaica in the opening game of the 2017 Rugby League Americas Championship series in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Vaivai, who plays for Illawarra Wests, scored a hat-trick of tries and kicked eight goals as the Hawks got their World Cup preparations off to an ideal start at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium.

USA led 18-6 at halftime after a delayed start to the match due to heavy rain and fears of lightning strikes and raced in five further tries in the second half through Chris Frazier, John St John, Taylor Alley and Vaivai, who scored twice.

The former South Sydney, Penrith and St George Illawarra centre also scored the opening try of the match, while captain Nick Newlin and fullback Gabe Farley also crossed in the first half.

The USA next match is in September against Canada, who play the Reggae Warriors in Jamaica next month.

By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017