Rd25 [The Final round] NRL Discussion

Fittler lets fly at Fa'alogo
By Steve Jancetic
September 01, 2007 TENSIONS between the NRL's most bitter rivals reached boiling point after Sydney Roosters coach Brad Fittler branded South Sydney' David Fa'alogo a coward for his king hit on Braith Anasta.

The Roosters ruined the Rabbitohs' top-four hopes by storming away with a 26-12 win at Telstra Stadium, but all eyes were on Fa'alogo after he appeared to lose the plot.

With 11 minutes remaining and the result beyond doubt, Fa'alogo took offence to an apparent Anasta grapple tackle, hitting the Roosters pivot with a right hook that required four stitches in a nasty mouth cut and saw the New Zealand forward sent to the sin bin.

Somehow the Rabbitohs still received the penalty for the grapple tackle, much to the bemusement of Fittler.

"I've seen 5000 of those tackles this year - it was a coward act,'' Fittler said.

"He just got up and had a free swing, I just think it was poor.''

While Anasta didn't get the chance to return fire on the field, he didn't hold back off it as he let Fa'alogo have it with both barrels.

"He's a weak human, it's the lowest, weakest thing I've ever seen,'' Anasta said.

"If he can't take a tackle ... it's just disgraceful. He's not playing netball - he king hit me, he'll get a few weeks (suspension), he won't be playing in the semis, he's just cost his team a player.

"I didn't think anything happened, all I felt was a punch to the head, he got a clean shot.''

Fa'alogo wasn't the only one to feel Anasta's wrath, with referee Ben Cummins also copping a serve for binning the former NSW Origin five-eighth with just over a minute left on the clock.

With tensions bubbling, Anasta and Souths halfback Jeremy Smith exchanged face slaps before Anasta was binned to the delight of the crowd.

"The referee lost the plot, he just listened to the crowd. He should check his undies, seriously,'' Anasta said.

"I've never seen anybody give into the crowd like he did. How do I get 10 in the bin for getting punched in the head and throwing one back?''

Souths coach Jason Taylor initially refused to comment on the Fa'alogo incident, but eventually his disappointment in the forward got the better of him.

"I said to the boys after the game I don't want to be a coach who has players who don't want to let the referee handle things,'' Taylor said.

"That's all we'll say about that.''

The loss saw the Bunnies miss an opportunity to push for a top-four berth, but even that would have been to no avail with New Zealand Warriors later securing a home final with a win over Penrith.

But instead of finishing fifth or sixth, Souths will now finish near the bottom of the eight and face a sudden death-match against Melbourne or Manly depending on the result of tomorrow's Brisbane-Parramatta match.

AAP

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What is Anasta on about? He practically choked Fa'alogo, then he started throwing them at Smith when Smith was just fending him off!

Fa'alogo will get a few matches for that though, and may miss a fair bit of the Kiwi's end of year matches, which is sad.
 
I gotta kinda disagree james. Even if it was a grapple and he was choking him - like fitler said - it happens to toher players everyweek and u dont see other players get up swinging from it.
 
I agree with Brogga, Grapples happen ever week and nobody gets up and king hits someone like a ****head. And if he wants 2 fight at least be man enough 2 do it face to face
 
very entertaining round i think, plenty of tries scored in it. I always though that the eels would beat the bronx but puting 68 on them was out of the blew. Melbourne have to be raging hot favourites now with their win and many struggling, a good stat that every backline player 1 to 7 scored in tonights game for the storm. I can only see the cowboys contending but if anything happens to thurston they are gonskis according to their performance on Friday night without him.
 
I don't think the cowboys will do so well againest team like the storm because they have really poor defence. The Eels showed that if they are on they can win but are 2 inconsistent. I dunno this weekend had blown the finals wide open
 
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