NRL legends Cooper Cronk and Mal Meninga were left baffled as to how Dolphins centre Euan Aitken escaped punishment for a hip drop tackle on the Warriors’ Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Not only was Aitken not sent to the bin for the incident, he also went unpunished by the NRL Judiciary, while a Titans star copped a ban for a similar hip drop.
The incident occurred during the first half as Aitken and Dolphins teammate Isaiya Katoa looked to wrap up the Warriors flyer.
However, Aitken appeared to lose his feet when performing the tackle and his arms slid down to Watene-Zeleniak’s waist.
The Warriors winger went down wincing in pain but Aitken managed to avoid any time off the pitch.
Given the crackdown on hip drop tackles this season, it left Cronk and Meninga a little surprised as to how Aitken managed to stay on the pitch.
“It was a little bit weird for me,” Cronk said.
“I think the commentators were a little perplexed by it and I’m perplexed. DWZ has got momentum, he’s gone through the tackle. Aitken has lot the tackle, turned around, lost feet … I’m not sure where that sits.”
Meninga agreed and claimed Aitken could face retrospective punishment for his actions.
“I think it’s a hip drop,” Meninga said.
“I think he’ll be charged and some sort of penalty on that. He quite easily could have dropped his hands. He could have quite easily wrapped his arms around the lower part of the legs.
“That’s a definite hip drop.”
Cronk was also surprised Watene-Zelezniak managed to stay on the park after the incident.
“I think it’s a sin bin,” Cronk said.
“DWZ, because he’s not injured as much, played on, which is good.
“But from what we’ve been used to, that’s a sin bin.”
While Aitken avoided any punishment from the NRL Judiciary, others weren’t so fortunate.
Titans star Chris Randall copped a grade 2 dangerous contact charge for a hip drop that saw Jai Arrow limp from the field, with Randall set for a one-match ban with an early guilty plea.
Cronulla’s Blayke Brailey was hit with a grade-one charge and a $750 fine for a hip drop on Maroons and Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh.
