The primary Queensland Derby lived as much as expectations because the Broncos pulled off a surprising 28-16 win in a brutal Friday evening conflict.
However the match has additionally left Broncos winger Corey Oates with a damaged jaw after a shoulder cost from Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater.
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It was early within the second half when Oates regarded to barge his method over the road, solely to be held up by Peta Hika in an unimaginable sort out.
Nevertheless, it got here after Drinkwater put his physique on the road to try to cease the hulking winger and appeared to placed on a shoulder cost.
After the influence and the match strive was checked by the Bunker, Oates ran straight from the sector clutching his jaw.
The Bunker quickly ship Drinkwater after him, sentencing the Cowboys fullback to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds was pleading for a penalty try to was heard on the referee’s microphone saying: “However he’s within the act of scoring and he has hit him within the head.”
In commentary, Cooper Cronk stated he believed it ought to have been a penalty strive.
“It was nonetheless within the act of scoring the strive, Corey Oates was going for the strive,” he stated.
It was quickly revealed that Oates had suffered a suspected damaged jaw.
The NRL Physio Twitter account wrote the incident might depart Oates on the sideline for a while.
Corey Parker instructed Fox League he had a clear break on the left facet of his jaw and “is at emergency division as we converse, by way of going scans to find out what the analysis can be, whether or not there’s plates, whether or not there’s surgical procedure.”
“That’s actually surprising information to know Corey Oates is within the emergency division in the meanwhile,” Yvonne Sampson replied.
However Panthers legend Greg Alexander stated he didn’t imagine the hit was as drastic because the harm would counsel.
“I believe Drinkwater simply held his floor and turned his shoulder for influence,” Alexander stated on Fox League.
“Would I class that as a shoulder cost? I suppose so. I suppose it’s a shoulder cost as a result of he turned sideways. Finish of story. There was no pressure in Drinkwater, he stood his floor and thought ‘right here comes a 6 foot three 100kg winger, I’m going to brace for influence’.”
Michael Ennis added be believed it was panic from the Cowboys fullback and praised Ashley Klein for his choice to sin bin, moderately than ship off.
As for the coaches, Todd Payten performed down the second, saying there was no intent from Drinkwater.
“He had one foot on the deck, he had no intent to make a collision with the physique, it’s definitely an accident,” the Cowboys coach stated. “The child’s simply doing his finest to cease a strive.”
Broncos coach Kevin Walters was much less lenient on the hit, saying: “It’s not an excellent incident to have in our recreation — be attention-grabbing to see what occurs with the NRL.”
Requested if the sin bin and penalty was enough, Walters stated: “In all probability not.”
Adam Reynolds stated he questioned whether or not it ought to have been greater than a sin bin.
“We lose a participant for all the recreation, a variety of weeks most likely, whether or not 10 minutes is justifiable, I don’t suppose so,” the halfback stated.
It threatened to overshadow a superb Queensland Derby with greater than 43,000 followers turning out to Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium to observe one of many NRL’s nice trendy rivalries write its subsequent chapter.
After the Cowboys opened an 8-0 lead after 18 minutes, the perimeters went to the break at 10-all earlier than the Broncos made essentially the most of Drinkwater’s sin bin, scoring twice with the man-advantage.
Though Jeremiah Nanai minimize the scoreline to 6 factors contained in the final 10 minutes, a attempt to Broncos debutant Reece Walsh capped a superb first outing for the 20-year-old.
