Leeds Rhinos’ Maika Sivo avoided a red card for his tackle on Josh Rourke in Friday night’s win over Wakefield Trinity, with that decision being one that has split Super League fans down the middle.
Just before the half-time hooter at Headingley, the Fijian winger jammed up out of the line and caught the Wakefield full-back high, however, he was saved from a red card due to ‘mitigation’.
That’s a word that rugby league fans have grown sick of but it certainly applies in this case as Rourke was near enough on his knees at the point of contact, however, that contact was high.
The incident was looked at by the video referee who then advised Chris Kendall to show a yellow card but it’s certainly an incident that will be looked at again by the Match Review Panel on Monday.
Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin claimed it was ‘absolutely’ a red card whilst Jodie Cunningham labelled the Leeds Rhinos man as ‘lucky’, and now Super League fans have had their own say.
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Super League fans divided on Maika Sivo sin bin
Responding to Serious About Rugby League’s coverage of those comments from Wilkin and Cunningham, plenty of fans had their say with arguments made for why it was or was not a red card.
We’ve picked out a handful of those reactions, all of which can be found on the initial post embedded below.
Mick Roberts: If you watch the video back you will see the Trinity player already going down so Sivo didn’t really do anything wrong, just an accident really.
Amy Williams: Red all day. It’s not a bull fight, it’s rugby.
Martin Woodhead: At no point does Sivo’s shoulder make contact with the head. Top of chest. Not great technique so probably still a yellow. Watch it back, final angle shows it clearly.
Ian Ward: Red all day long, no mitigation. The officials bottled it.
Sam Shaw: He’s already going down before Sivo makes contact.
Rich Saunders: Rhinos fan and definitely a red. He’ll more than likely see a ban for it though, he’s mistimed a couple of these already this season and ending up with penalty points. This one is on the more severe side.
Paul Hugh McGuigan: He (Josh Rourke) is on one knee. Sin bin correct call.
