NRL makes call on Haumole Olakau’atu punishment after uproar over sin-binning in Manly loss

Haumole Olakau’atu has escaped with a fine for the controversial hit that saw him sin-binned in Manly's loss to Wests Tigers on Thursday night. Sea Eagles fans were left seething when Olakau’atu was marched for 10 minutes for his shot on Tigers fullback Heath Mason.

Referee Peter Gough and the Bunker deemed that Olakau’atu hit Mason in the head, but Cooper Cronk suggested the contact was shoulder-to-shoulder. “I don’t know if it is contact to the head," Cronk said in commentary for Fox League.

"At first glance I thought it was contact to the shoulder. Yes it was aggressive. Yes it was forceful, but I’m not sure if this makes contact directly to the head. I think that’s shoulder on shoulder.”

Warren Smith agreed and said there was “nothing wrong with the contact as far as the attempt to make a wrapping tackle.” But the Bunker apparently saw Olakau’atu make contact with Mason's head and ordered he be sin-binned.

The Tigers scored two tries while the second-rower was off the field, which proved massively costly for the Sea Eagles as they lost 34-26. And the mood of Manly fans might not be lifted despite the match review panel's decision not to suspend Olakau’atu.

The match review committee opted to hand out a lower-end sanction on Friday morning, hitting Olakau'atu with a grade-one charge and $3000 fine with an early guilty plea. The fact he escaped suspension will only add to anger of Manly fans who think he shouldn't have been binned.

The NSW State of Origin second-rower was one of three Manly players sin-binned in the loss on Thursday night, with Ethan Bullemor also marched for repeated offences in the first half. Bench forward Corey Waddell was also sent for 10 for a high shot on Solomon Alaimalo, and is facing a two-match ban for the grade-two high tackle. Fellow forward Taniela Paseka is also facing a $1000 fine for his role in the same tackle on Alaimalo, although he wasn't binned.

Manly not panicking despite shock loss to Wests Tigers

Thursday night's loss was disastrous for Manly in that it means they're highly unlikely to secure a top-four finish. They've slipped to seventh behind the Cowboys and are now in danger of missing out on a home elimination final by finishing the regular season fifth or sixth.

Coach Anthony Seibold said he would give his players 24 hours to stew on their loss to the last-placed Tigers before regrouping. "You get what you deserve in the NRL. We've deserved some really good results because we've played some really good footy but tonight we weren't there," Seibold said. "We'll go back and prepare well because we've got a big game against the Bulldogs next Friday night. We know how well they've been playing."

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The Sea Eagles had won five of six games prior to the loss, but are yet to face either the Bulldogs or Sharks this season - two of the six sides higher than Manly on the ladder to begin the weekend and the two teams they play to round out the regular season. Prior to the Tigers loss, Seibold said he was "very confident" the Sea Eagles would play finals football this season, and he remained unfazed on Thursday night.

"I'm confident in our team, of course I am," he said. "I'm not sure what the ladder looks like after tonight but we've been reasonably consistent over the last little period of time. It's disappointing but it's not the end of the world, right? We're fighting in this competition and we'll go again. It's going to be a disappointing 24 hours but then we need to wash it after that."

with AAP