Bulldogs star defends controversial penalty decision in Las Vegas NRL opener
“To not come away with two points, that’s what demoralises us. It was a tough defeat, but the boys put in a good effort and we should be very proud.”
David Fairleigh, the NRL’s club relations manager for elite referees, sent a memo to all coaches last week with a list of rule changes and comments involving tackles.
“The steal of the ball will be determined by the actions of the defensive player(s),” Fairleigh wrote. “These actions may include hitting the ball, grasping and pulling the ball, or pulling the ball-carrying arm to dislodge the ball.”
Couchman was playing his first NRL game since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in round one against the Bulldogs last year.
“This match was one of the highlights of my career, and last year in the first round was the lowest point of my career; I’ve never experienced an atmosphere like this,” Couchman said.
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“I’ve had this date set for a while, when I did it I knew we were coming to Vegas so I wanted to get fit and healthy and play here.”
Meanwhile, the match review committee charged North Queensland winger Braidon Burns with second-degree careless high tackle, meaning he missed two matches, while Knights captain Tyson Frizell was fined $1000 for a cannonball tackle on Tom Mikaele, who will now miss six weeks with the MCL.
Crichton escaped any blame for his high shot on Dragons debutant Setu Tu.
