Harold Matthews Cup

Magpies to miss Grand Final

by
dailytelegraph
26/04/2022

Magpies to miss Grand Final

Author : Fatima Kdouh News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom Follow @FatimaKdouh_
Edited by OurFooty

Wests Magpies face grand final bans over multiple send-offs

Western Suburbs will likely need a selection overhaul for their Harold Matts Cup decider against Cronulla after the three players sent off for their part in last weekend’s all-in melee were charged.

Three Wests Magpies Harold Matts (under-17s) players are facing bans from next weekend’s grand final after a brawl against Canberra.

Five Western Suburbs Magpies Harold Matthews players have been charged for their role in an all-in melee in the dying stages of last weekend’s semi-final win against Canberra at Netstrata Jubilee Oval.

Three of those players – Thomas Pati, Jeremiah Leatigaga and Kohen Lewis.

Have been charged with contrary conduct by the NSWRL Match Review Committee.

After leaving the Magpies bench to storm the field as a push and shove threatened to turn into an all-in brawl after the siren sounded but referee Ben Seppala had yet to blow full time.

Magpies to miss Grand Final Picture: Damian Shaw

An early guilty plea

An early guilty plea means the trio will miss Saturday’s grand final against Cronulla at Commbank Stadium.

It looks as though the Magpies will be down three players for this weekend’s decider.

Pati, Leatigaga and Lewis will have to challenge the MRC’s decision at the judiciary to have the charges downgraded or dropped if they are to line-up this weekend.

The Magpies have until midday Wednesday to enter a plea for Pati, Leatigaga and Lewis – who were all sent off in the final minute of last Saturday’s game.

The two other Magpies players have been issued a contrary conduct breach notice under the NRL’s code of conduct policy for charging onto the field when the melee broke out.

Those two Magpies were ‘non-players’ and not taking part in the match at the time.

They are facing bans between two to three weeks and have seven days to respond to the notices.

The melee started after Raiders forward Noah Martin flopped on the back of Magpies backrower Lachlan Galvin, who conceded a tackle as he tried to wind down the clock.

But tensions had threatened to boil over even before the all-in melee as Canberra players niggled at their opposition in the final minutes of the match.

Raiders captain Owen Hromow tackled Magpies fullback Luke Laulilii with a swinging arm but Laulilii, who took exception to the tackle, was dragged away by teammates before that encounter further escalated.