Parramatta Eels star Kennedy Cherrington says she and her teammates initially had no idea that Sereana Naitokatoka had been bitten when the incident occurred.
The bite occurred during a rain-soaked Round 2 clash between the Eels and Dragons, with St George Illawarra winger Madison Bartlett handed a one-game ban the act.
“We didn’t know it had occurred, just like you guys, until a scrum in midfield,” Cherrington told Wide World of Sports’ NRLWrap.
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“(Naitokatoka) then alerted the ref and obviously there was a clear bite mark. Stuff happens in footy, but obviously biting is not welcome in our game.
“It doesn’t affect our team. We’re glad both parties are all right and we’ll just continue to play footy.”
Bartlett became the first player in NRLW history to be charged with biting. League great-turned-Nine analyst, Ruan Sims, suggested that the Dragons winger had gotten lucky with the judiciary’s one-match verdict.
“When this happened at the time I wasn’t aware anything had occurred, and we didn’t hear anything through the ref’s ears,” she told NRLWrap, echoing Cherrington’s comments.
“At the judiciary, they were told to take into account the length of the competition and what is fair along those circumstances.
“I think even the NRL’s councillor was asking for two to three weeks.”
The Bartlett-less Dragons will face the Broncos in Round 3 in a battle of the NRLW’s last remaining unbeaten teams, while the Eels will face the Gold Coast Titans.