Tigers bite their tongue over Smith’s knee on Tuqiri
Tony Adams
From: The Sunday Telegraph
September 26, 2010 12:02AM
STAR winger Lote Tuqiri fears he broke his ribs in the controversial tackle that crushed the Wests Tigers’ season at ANZ Stadium.
With seven minutes left and the scores locked at 12-all, Tuqiri was falling to the ground when he collected the knee of Dragons forward Jeremy Smith.
Tuqiri went down in agony but the on-field referees and video referee Steve Clark failed to take any action.
Had the Tigers received a penalty, they may well have hit the front with a shot at goal. Instead the Dragons worked play downfield and came up with the match-winning field goal moments later.
“Our bloke got taken off, it was a blatant knee,” a Tigers source said in the shattered losing dressing room.
“If they cite Smith, there will be hell to pay, but then they would have to admit the referees got it wrong.”
Tuqiri was angry as trainers strapped his ribs after the match.
“He didn’t miss me,” Tuqiri said. “I can’t move, I can barely talk, I am going for X-rays in the morning.”
The Tigers were left to lament a few close calls in a game in which there was barely a split hair between the teams.
“I am proud of the boys and proud of the effort,” coach Tim Sheens said.
"They were supposed to blow us off the park tonight, we weren’t supposed to even come close. But this young team really dug deep and came within an inch or two of a grand final. It was a great effort.
“Some things went against us, but I’m not going to whinge. It’s grand final week.”
Sheens says the Tigers hope to use the Dragons’ now infamous exit from last year’s finals series as their model for success next year.
“They went out last year … and it hurt but they grew stronger from it,” Sheens said.
“They stuck together as a group - that will be our goal next year.”