- Roosters star nailed Dogs fullback with high shot on Saturday
- Fetalaiga Pauga was sent off during his team’s 26-8 win
- Andrew Johns blasted the NRL as he reacted to illegal hit
Footy great Andrew Johns has lashed out at the NRL after Roosters star Fetalaiga Pauga was suspended for four matches after he smashed a rival with a shocking tackle on Saturday night.
The centre was sent off after smashing Connor Tracey late and high before being banned for four matches over the hit, which left the Bulldogs fullback so badly concussed he won’t be able to play this week.
‘Junior’ Pauga was hit with a grade-two reckless high-tackle charge on Sunday, meaning he’ll be banned for four weeks if he pleads guilty, or five weeks if he fights the charge at the judiciary and loses.
Johns told Channel Nine’s Sunday Footy Show that he was shocked by how soft the suspension is.
Fetalaiga Pauga left Bulldogs star Connor Tracey badly concussed with this shocking late and high hit on Saturday night
Newcastle Knights premiership legend Andrew Johns (pictured) slammed the NRL for only handing the Roosters star a four-game suspension for the ‘awful’ tackle
‘Four weeks? A million per cent [Pauga should have got more],’ the Knights premiership legend said.
‘That was a stiff arm, an old-fashioned coathanger. It’s hard to watch.’
Johns believes the hit is partially the result of outside backs being more aggressive in defence this season, like Joseph Sua’ali’i with his awful head shot on Reece Walsh in game one of State of Origin.
‘When they jam from outside in, the centres and wingers, to put pressure on, you’ve got to get it right,’ he said.
‘We’ve seen [Parramatta winger] Maika Sivo pinged a few times, obviously Sua’ali’i in Origin … but this one is awful.
‘How he didn’t break his jaw or, the way Connor Tracey landed, how he didn’t tear his ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] or break his leg … that was awful.’
Johns said it was very lucky the shot from Pauga (pictured being sent off for the hit) didn’t leave Tracey with a broken jaw or broken leg
His fellow great of the game and Nine co-commentator Brad Fittler agreed.
‘I can’t see where they got the four weeks,’ said the ex-NSW Blues coach.
‘I’ve watched Junior this year, he has had an incredible season, but I reckon he slips just before he takes off to chase [Tracey].
‘I haven’t seen anything like this in his game but four weeks,’ Fittler finished as he shook his head in disbelief.
Broncos and Maroons great Sam Thaiday – who was on the panel with Johns and Fittler – agreed, saying ‘four weeks is pretty light for that type of tackle’.
The shot left Tracey (pictured sitting on the ground, centre) unable to play for the Bulldogs against the Sharks this week
Pauga’s likely suspension means the Roosters could be forced to pick a sixth-string replacement for him in the centres, and coach Trent Robinson was blunt about the tackle after the win over the Dogs.
‘It wasn’t good,’ Robinson said.
‘It’s not great to see a player go off like that. It was tough, we don’t want that, either side, in our game.
‘It’s disappointing. He’s suffering a bit in there, Junior.
‘There’s stuff to work on there on the field with that tackle [and] then there’s making sure he doesn’t take it to heart too much, for too long.’