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Ugly Roger Tuivasa-Sheck detail emerges as NRL fans fume over 'farcical' Stephen Crichton incident

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been dealt a brutal blow ahead of the Warriors' final game of the season.

riley morgan
Sports Reporter
·6-min read

Stephen Crichton is facing a one-match ban as Warriors fans were left livid with the lack of consistency in the NRL after the centre escaped a sin-bin for a high-tackle on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. The Bulldogs spoiled Shaun Johnson's swan song in front of his own fans after running away with a 34-18 win to close the gap on Cronulla and the Sydney Roosters in the race for the NRL top four.

The sell-out Mt Smart crowd came to say goodbye to veteran Johnson in his final game at home for 2024. Fans braved the cold and rain as Johnson walked onto the field with tears streaming down his face to a raucous cheer.

Stephen Crichton reacts and Crichton tackles Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is set to miss the last game of the season for his team as fans fume after Stephen Crichton (pictured left) escaped a sin-bin for a high-tackle on the Warriors star. (Images: Getty Images/Fox Sports)

Unfortunately, the match was marred with another Bunker controversy when Bulldogs centre Crichton stayed on the field for a high-tackle on Tuivasa-Sheck. With the Warriors leading 18-16 in the 46th minute, Crichton's shoulder collided with Tuivasa-Sheck's head.

The State of Origin star centre didn't appear to use his arms in the tackle as Tuivasa-Sheck was rocked when he tried to play the ball. Tuivasa-Sheck then stumbled back and collapsed having clearly been concussed from the incident.

Manly copped two sin-bin penalties on Thursday night for head-high tackles. This cost them the game against the Wests Tigers. And viewers were adamant Crichton would also be marched for at least 10 minutes in the bin after the Bunker reviewed the tackle.

However, the Bunker deemed their were mitigating circumstances and the Warriors would only receive a penalty. This left commentator Andrew Voss completely stunned.

"Where is Stephen Crichton using the arms in that tackle ... that's a very controversial decision there," Voss said on Fox Sports commentary. "It's a shoulder in the head that's taken a bloke out of the game and now will not play their last game of the season either, that's season done.

"That's staggering." Co-commentator Steve Roach agreed Crichton should be spending time on the sideline.

Stephen Crichton celebrates a try.
Stephen Crichton (pictured) was fortunate, according to fans, not to find himself in the sin-bin during the clash against the Warriors.

The Warriors fell apart after the incident with many feeling the home side should have had a man advantage for the contest. And in ugly news for the Warriors, Tuivasa-Sheck copped a category one head knock.

This ruled Tuivasa-Sheck out of the game and he will also have to stand down for next week's clash. Tuivasa-Sheck's season is over since the Warriors have a bye in the final round of the season. And he won't play in Johnson's final game for the Warriors in a sad note.

And fans were left absolutely livid with the call. Manly fans would have also been less than impressed having watched two of their players sent to the bin for tackles that were similar. Fans are only calling for consistency in the game from week-to-week with the NRL finals approaching.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster is normally calm during his post-match press conference. However, the coach wasn't impressed at Mt Smart stadium and took a swipe at the officiating decision.He also took aim at the idea Tuivasa-Sheck will miss next week, while Crichton could play if he escapes a penalty after being put on report.

“I think we’ve got a big part to play in it (the loss) but I’m struggling to understand how a shoulder can go into Roger’s head and the bunker’s got ages to see it in a critical time of the game and then we lose Roger and we’ve got to reshuffle all our team,” Webster said at his press conference. “You’ve got to reshuffle anyway – that’s football – but if it happens because it just happens – but when it happens like that and nothing gets done to them – we’ve got to protect our players.

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“And I just don’t see the consistency one little bit around that. Roger will miss next week now and couldn’t come back (into the game) and their player (Crichton) goes on (playing). That’s it. There are some parts there that we could have controlled better tonight and the boys know that but I am just frustrated how that happens.

“I just think they need to know what they’re doing, personally. I just don’t think they know. I don’t think they understand because the wording around what they say just isn’t clear. It’s hard.”

Shaun Johnson and Jazz Tevaga pose for a photo.
Shaun Johnson (pictured left) played his final game at Mt Smart stadium.

The close contest was blown out when Josh Addo-Carr and Jacob Kiraz cross over the line to seal the game. And coach Cameron Ciraldo was happy with how the team managed to fight back in the contest at Mt Smart Stadium.

"We probably started exactly the way we didn't want to," Ciraldo said. "But really proud of our guys to fight back from that, draw back possession, and then get ourselves back into the game."