Cronulla Sharks fullback Will Kennedy faces a nervous wait after being sent off for a “coathanger” tackle on Warriors young gun Reece Walsh.
The incident occurred in the 17th minute of the Sharks’ 29-10 win against the Warriors at PointsBet Stadium, when Kennedy stuck out his left arm in a bid to stop Walsh after being wrong-footed due to a vicious sidestep from the 19-year-old.
Despite Walsh getting back up onto his feet immediately after the tackle, Kennedy was given his marching orders by referee Todd Smith, much to the shock of veteran teammate Dale Finucane, who remonstrated with Smith after he made the call.
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“That’s the old coathanger,” league great Phil Gould said on Nine’s NRL coverage.
“It’s not his go, but he’s been wrong-footed and he’s thrown the arm out.
“That is an old-fashioned coathanger. You don’t see many of those anymore.
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“It’s not a swinging arm, he sort of grabs at him (Walsh). It’s pretty violent at first look, isn’t it?
“(The send-off) is a direct reaction to what we’ve seen in previous weeks, that decision.”