Roosters winger Daniel Tupou was lucky to avoid being sent from the field during his side’s shock 14-12 Anzac Day loss, after a high tackle on Mikaele Ravalawa.
The Dragons winger made a break and darted in-field before his Chooks opposite stuck an arm out and caught him around the head.
“They want 10 minutes in the bin the Dragons players,” Nine commentator Mat Thompson said.
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“This might be more than that,” added Brad Fittler.
“He’s hit him in the forehead.”
Bizarrely, Tupou wasn’t forced into the sin bin with the referee asserting the incident looked worse than it was.
“I don’t believe it’s as bad as it looks,” he told the Bunker.
NRL boss Andrew Abdo, though, disagreed.
He later told Wide World of Sports radio that Tupou should have been binned.
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Dragons coach Anthony Griffin was livid with the decision to leave Tupou on the field.
“You would have got two years in jail at Magic Round last year for that,” Griffin said, referencing the NRL’s 2021 crackdown on high contact.
“I’m serious. He was dropped back on last play and had 30 metres to decide where to tackle him.
“It was direct contact to the head. I don’t understand the rules.
“He should have at least been in the sin bin.”
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Tupou was placed on report as Ravalawa got to his feet unscathed.
“There’s a few people who have been sent off in their career who will be thinking ‘what the hell?’,” Phil Gould said.
“Well anyone who has been sin binned for a high tackle this year will be saying precisely that.”
With 13 players still on the field, the Chooks mounted a comeback and got within two points of the Dragons.
But ultimately they fell short of victory, handing the Red V a stunning upset win at the SCG.
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