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Phil Clarke says Sione Mata’utia should have been red carded for late hit on Aidan Sezer

St Helens have suffered a blow in their clash against Leeds Rhinos with Sione Mata’utia sin binned for a late shot on Aidan Sezer.

The halfback has also been forced off the field due to a Head Injury Assessment.

It is all too similar for Sezer to the semi-final clash against Wigan Warriors last year which saw him miss the Grand Final against the Saints.

The incident this time was missed by most as the Rhinos put together a nice set play with a smart Richie Myler grubbering at the end of it forcing a goal line drop out.

But after Mata’utia and Sezer were left on the ground with Mata’utia needing tap around a cut on his head.

However, despite being the one with the cut, he was sin binned whilst Sezer went off with a head injury assessment.

Mata’utia was sin binned because of the flexion of Sezer’s head after the collision.

In the past it has yielded a long ban.

In his absence Leeds scored a 100 metre try exploiting the space with Nene MacDonald getting around the Saints defence with Jon Bennison on the left.

It came after passes from Cameron Smith and Richie Myler created space for MacDonald he then found support in Myler who then found Handley as he jinked past Jonny Lomax to score.

Phil Clarke has now said Mata’utia is lucky that it wasn’t a red card.

He said it was dangerous play: “It was over aggressive and ill-disciplined. He missed 10 minutes, I think he will miss more in the coming weeks when the disciplinary panel consider the foul play there.

“He was late in the tackle and the game is trying to eradicate this aspect from the game as a player passes the ball, unsighted, hit from behind, he could have been very seriously injured.

“Luckily Aidan Sezer is okay and has returned to the field.

“That is dangerous play and he is very lucky that card is yellow.”

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