Eels enforcer hit with five-week ban after injury twist halts plan to fight NRL charge

Parramatta Eels second-rower Kelma Tuilagi will no longer contest his grade three dangerous throw charge on Tuesday evening after entering a no-contest to the NRL judiciary.

The gun forward was handed a four-game ban for an ugly lifting tackle in the opening minutes of Saturday evening’s NRL game against the Sydney Roosters at CommBank Stadium.

In the fourth minute of the Round 15 clash, Tuilagi flipped Roosters prop Lindsay Coll

ins in a tackle, landing on his neck, prompting a brief scuffle between players.

Tuilagi was sent to the sin bin for the tackle and on Sunday charged, being initially handed a four game suspension with the early plea and five if he fights the charge and is unsuccessful.

Tuilagi had planned to fight the charge but has suffered a thumb injury which means he will be sidelined for five weeks anyway according to AAP Sport’s Scott Bailey.

As a result, Tuilagi decided to enter a no-contest to the charge.

Thankfully for the Roosters, Collins returned to his feet unharmed, but referee Chris Butler did not hesitate putting Tuilagi on report and sending him to the sin bin for the dangerous act.

“He lifts him up and takes him to ground with moderate force,” Butler was overheard explaining to Eels captain Clint Gutherson.

“There’s a risk of injury.”

To rub salt into the wounds, Roosters winger Sydney Roosters scored in the following passage of play to give the visitors an early lead.

Elsewhere, Roosters duo Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Naufahu Whyte also came under the microscope of the match review committee after Saturday’s game.

Waerea-Hargreaves was charged with a grade one a careless high tackle on Shaun Lane but is only facing a fine while Whyte was charged with grade one dangerous contact on Ryan Matterson and is also looking at a fine.