Luke pushes luck as ref contact attracts charge
Glenn Jackson
February 21, 2012
Issac Luke is again in hot water.
Photo: Getty Images
ISSAC LUKE'S attempts at behavioural reform may have lasted a matter of minutes. In his comeback match from a suspension for a leg twist in the Four Nations tournament, Luke again found himself in hot water with officialdom, this time for allegedly pushing a referee.
Luke was yesterday handed with a contrary conduct charge, following an incident involving referee Jason Robinson during Saturday night's Charity Shield, and faces being suspended for the Rabbitohs' round-one clash with Sydney Roosters. The Rabbitohs will decide today whether to contest the charge - which arose from a 31st-minute incident in the defeat at the hands of the Dragons.
Brisbane prop Petero Civoniceva is the only other player facing a suspension out of the final round of trial matches, having been given a grade-three high tackle charge after a hit on Melbourne's Ryan Hinchcliffe.
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While Civoniceva was placed on report, Souths officials did not see the Luke charge coming, only learning their player was being scrutinised after the meeting of match reviewers yesterday. It was alleged that Luke pushed Robinson. Any contact with a referee, whether deliberate or accidental, is heavily scrutinised by the match review committee, and after a lengthy meeting yesterday the panel decided that the contact was worthy of a charge.
Luke, who started the match on the interchange bench, had only just taken the field in his comeback match from a charge dating back to November.
Which means Luke's discipline will again be questioned, at a time the club needs its best players on the park. The charge is another pre-season blow for the Rabbitohs, who were reeling with the news prop Luke Burgess suffered a broken foot at ANZ Stadium, and will be sidelined for about three months. Star centre Greg Inglis suffered an ankle injury in the All Stars clash.
The match review committee yesterday studied footage of the Luke incident and handed the hooker a grade-one contrary conduct charge. The New Zealand international faces a one-match suspension whether he pleads guilty or not.
Even though three other Souths players were placed on report on Saturday night, Luke - who was not reported on the night - was the only Rabbitoh to face suspension.
Second-rower Eddy Pettybourne will escape suspension despite being charged with a grade-one high tackle on St George Illawarra's Chase Stanley.
''We haven't even seen the video,'' chief executive Shane Richardson said. ''I'll wait till tomorrow before I make a comment. I watched the game three times and I didn't notice it.''
Should Luke be suspended, the Rabbitohs will no doubt be aggrieved that Luke had found himself in trouble just moments after taking the field in his return match. Luke had previously promised to work on his tackling technique after a controversial Four Nations tournament. He was formally cautioned after a cannonball tackle on Australian prop David Shillington, and then suspended for his leg twist on Chase.
Luke's comments after his ban further raised eyebrows.
Civoniceva, meanwhile, faces a ban of one or two matches after a tackle on Hinchcliffe which upset Melbourne officials in Hobart. The Broncos must now decide whether to plead guilty, which will hand the veteran front-rower a one-match suspension, or fight the charge.
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...acts-charge-20120220-1tjoz.html#ixzz1mwzTbbR6
