Brent Naden will cop at least a four-week ban after being sent off for 'worst tackle of the year'

Brent Naden to cop suspension of at least FOUR WEEKS after being sent off for the season’s most dangerous tackle – as Storm make a shock move after Felise Kaufusi elbowed Sam Walker

  • Naden was sent from the field for his tackle on Manly’s Jake Trbojevic on Sunday
  • The new recruit became the first Wests Tigers player to be sent off in 20 years  
  • Michael Ennis declared it was the ‘worst tackle of the year’ in commentary
  • He called for an eight week ban, but Naden could be free to play in four weeks 

The Wests Tigers’ season of woe continues with new recruit Brent Naden set to be suspended for four weeks for ‘worst tackle of the year’.

Naden is just three games into his career as a Tiger after switching mid-season from the Bulldogs but looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines for his tackle gone wrong on Manly forward Jake Trbojevic.

Naden {top} twisted Trbojevic into an awkward position that saw the forward's head slammed into the turf. He was placed on report and sent off for his role in the tackle

Naden {top} twisted Trbojevic into an awkward position that saw the forward’s head slammed into the turf. He was placed on report and sent off for his role in the tackle

Trbojevic was lifted into an awkward position above the horizontal and his head slammed into the Campbelltown Stadium turf in the 64th minute of the Tigers’ 30-4 NRL loss to the Sea Eagles on Sunday.

He became the first Tigers player to be sent off the field in 20 years for the tackle, the last Wests player to receive their marching orders was Corey Pearson in 2002.

 Naden will have until Tuesday morning to enter a plea to the charge of a grade three dangerous throw imposed by the match review committee on Monday morning.

He will receive four matches if he pleads guilty early and five if he fights the charge and loses.

‘That’s a bad one,’ Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach said in Fox Sports commentary.

‘To his credit though Jake, he got straight up, he knew it was an accident but you just can’t do it anymore for the safety of the players.’

Michael Ennis said that intent or not, it was the worst tackle of the season so far and called for an eight-week ban.

‘It was as bad a spear tackle as we’ve seen in a long time,’ Ennis said.

‘Now, look, Steve Roach made a great point: no player goes out there to do that.

‘But the fact of the matter is he lands on his head and he gets driven. It could have been a really, really bad outcome that for Jake Trbojevic.

‘And I really think he’ll get a suspension [of] around eight weeks. I really do.’

Naden became the first Wests Tigers player to be sent off in 20 years for the tackle

Naden became the first Wests Tigers player to be sent off in 20 years for the tackle

The severity of the ban is in line with the one handed to Manly utility Karl Lawton earlier in the year for a similar tackle on South Sydney captain Cameron Murray.

Naden immediately apologised to Trbojevic after the match, while he also earned the sympathy of the stand-in Manly skipper.

‘I was all good,’ Trbojevic insisted after the match.

‘He was very apologetic. Just momentum of me trying to find the ground anyway. He was a bit unlucky.

‘It didn’t hurt at all. There was no malice in it.’

Wests Tigers players look on after a Humble Olakau'atu try in their 30-4 loss against Manly

Wests Tigers players look on after a Humble Olakau’atu try in their 30-4 loss against Manly

The send-off capped a nightmare day for Naden, who bombed a try, needed a HIA after being flattened by Haumole Olakau’atu and missed tackles in the lead-up to two Sea Eagles tries.

Naden only arrived at the Tigers last month to help fill a shortage in the outside backs, with Junior Tupou or Asu Kepaoa the men most likely to fill his spot.

Meanwhile, Melbourne have announced they will contest Felise Kaufusi’s dangerous contact charge from the weekend.

Felise Kaufusi (with ball) was only hit with a fine after smashing Sam Walker - but the Storm have decided to contest the charge anyway

Felise Kaufusi (with ball) was only hit with a fine after smashing Sam Walker – but the Storm have decided to contest the charge anyway

Walker is attended to by a Roosters trainer after receiving the elbow to the head from Kaufusi

Walker is attended to by a Roosters trainer after receiving the elbow to the head from Kaufusi

The second-rower could have walked away with a $1800 fine for an early guilty plea for an elbow to the head of Sydney Roosters youngster Sam Walker during their Saturday night win – which leaves Kaufusi free to play in State of Origin II next week.

Commentator and former great Andrew Johns was shocked by the lenient penalty.

‘They’ve pretty much said he is guilty, so you elbow someone in the head and you get a fine,’ Johns said on Nine.

‘So $1800 – I think Felise should buy himself a lottery ticket. Very lucky there.’

But the Storm said on Monday they had lodged a not guilty plea with the NRL, the matter to be heard by the judiciary. If are unsuccessful in challenging, the fine will be increased to $2500.

source: dailymail.co.uk