Parramatta’s Fijian rookie Maika Sivo is facing suspension and pressure to refine his tackling technique after delivering a second damaging high shot in as many weeks.
Sivo was on Sunday handed a grade-three careless high tackle charge for the late hit that forced concussed Melbourne fullback Jahrome Hughes from the field during the Eels’ 64-10 loss on Saturday night.
The Fijian flyer can escape with a one-match suspension with an early plea but risks a second week if he contests the charge.
Sivo was sin-binned but commentators believed he was lucky not to be sent off for the incident which came week after his contact on Corey Norman left the St George Illawarra playmaker with a fractured cheekbone.
ARL Commission member Mark Coyne said the exciting Sivo – who has just nine NRL games under his belt – must make changes to his defensive approach.
“He’s quite new to the game and I think he needs a bit of work on his tackle technique,” Coyne told Nine Network.
Eels great Peter Sterling agreed Sivo needed help with his technique.
“Dylan Napa has gotten into trouble in the past. Once you take your eye off the target then you do leave yourself open to that kind of contact,” he said.
“He hasn’t played a lot of NRL but he needs to learn quickly.”
Queensland coach Kevin Walters and Penrith great Greg Alexander were among those who thought Sivo was fortunate not to be sent off.
Hughes did not return to the match and is expected to miss the Storm’s next clash against Wests Tigers on Thursday night.
Eels coach Brad Arthur pointed to an incident three weeks ago when Eels prop Daniel Alvaro copped a high shot that went unpunished when asked his opinion on the Sivo sinbinning.
Alvaro was forced to miss a game due to the head knock he copped in the round-six thrashing of the Tigers.
“As long as we are consistent. A couple of weeks ago Daniel Alvaro was hit in the head and there was no sin bin,” Arthur said.
Eels skipper Clint Gutherson took exception to the sin-binning, blowing up at official Henry Perenara.
On field microphones picked up Gutherson also referencing the Alvaro incident from the Tigers game, where Perenara was also an official.
“We did this the other week, I questioned it, and you said it’s a different story,” a fuming Gutherson told Perenara after Sivo was binned.
“Our player did not come back. You can’t do this.”