Albert Hopoate fined $1000 for hair pull

By Jasper Bruce in Sydney

MITCH Barnett is set to miss the Warriors’ next game after being cited for his high tackle on Jordan Rapana in their 36-14 win over Canberra on Friday night.

And, after previous instances went unpunished this season, the NRL match review committee has fined Canberra’s Albert Hopoate for pulling the hair of rival winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

Forward Barnett found himself sin-binned for contacting Rapana’s chin with his shoulder midway through the first half, forcing the Raiders winger off for a head injury assessment. Both players returned later.

On Saturday morning, the match review committee categorised Barnett’s hit as a grade-two careless high tackle and handed him a one-match suspension.

He will miss the Warriors’ round 17 clash against St George Illawarra if he takes an early guilty plea, and risks sitting out their following game against South Sydney if he argues his case at the judiciary.

Hopoate was handed a grade-one contrary conduct charge for pulling Watene-Zelezniak’s locks as he attempted a tackle and can accept a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea.

The incident in the opening 10 minutes of the game left Watene-Zelezniak appealing for a penalty but none was forthcoming.

The charge comes after Jarome Luai accused Reece Walsh of pulling his hair in the State of Origin series opener, having previously been on the receiving end of hair-pulling from Newcastle’s Tyson Frizell at NRL level.

Knights winger Dom Young also had his hair pulled by Parramatta’s Maika Sivo in round nine but none of the three previous incidents had resulted in match review committee charges.

Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton and Warriors big man Marata Niukore face $3000 fines for their high shots in Friday night’s game.

Niukore was sin-binned for his shot, also on Rapana, but has escaped suspension, the MRC judging the hit as a grade-one offence.

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