Ma’a Nonu has been suspended from rugby for one week following his judicial hearing with SANZAR on Monday. Nonu was sent off in he Hurricanes’ surprise loss on Friday to the Highlanders.
Nonu received two yellow cards on the night, first in the 29th minute for a professional foul, and then for a dangerous tackle on Jimmy Cowan in the 50th minute.
The citing officer, Nigel Hampton, found that Nonu did not use his arms in the tackle and that his first impact was with his shoulder into Cowan’s neck.
Nonu is suspended from playing all rugby up to and including Monday 28 February, meaning he will not play in the Hurricanes home match against the Crusaders this weekend.
Other than Jonkers not rooting out negative play on Saturday, this was the other injustice of Round 1. Nonu deserved at least 4 more weeks, if you compare it to the Bakkies and Schalk incidents in the past.
He’s very lucky….he deserved a longer ban.
On Rugbyheaven NZ they mention that Cowan wrote a letter to the judiciary in mitigation of the sentence and that is one of the reasons it was only a 1 week suspension.
1st he hollywood’s the injury, then grins about the red and then decides to help the guy out?????
@KSA Shark © (Comment 3) :
Now that’s a first..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 4) : I was just as shocked. Almost bliksemed off my chair.
ONE WEEK?
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 6) : I fail to see how one week can be of any help to the game of rugby…
One week is fair – end of story – it was not malicious, just silly. He does miss a game and he is an important player in his set up. You need to suspend players to set the tone that ill-discipline has consequence.
Let’s see how many weeks Butch gets when he comes on for the Lions.
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 8) : “not malicious, just silly’…doesnt count in anyone elses favour…
One week seems fair. It was just a yellow card incident. The first yellow was after a team warning.
At least Nonu is not going to cost me any points in FL this weekend. -40.5 dammit.
That wasn’t a tackle with no arms… That was a bloody stupid shoulder charge.
@lostfish (Comment 13) : Agree! I suck @ fl an now he cost me 27 pnts- as if I needed that!
This prick should have got 4 weeks
@Just a Fan (Comment 10) : That I don’t agree with… Bakkies has been on the receiving end of some pretty harsh calls, but that comes with his turf / his brand (so we are talking generally) – other than Bakkies what else comes to mind as unfair / bias? We need to move on… Bakkies last ban was stupid and malicious (although causing more damage to his own face)…
@Ben (Comment 15) : For what should he have been banned four weeks for? That was a harmless incident…
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 17) : whatever dude! He’s a dirty player and if he isn’t going to be taught a lesson he’s gonna keep doing it.
To quote Tana Umaga, its rugby not tiddly winks… If its as bad as that then it doesn’t matter, but if it is obviously malicious or dirty, then sure – a hefty ban can be dished… Whatever dude…
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 19) : So running at full tilt and throwing your shoulder into someone’s head isn’t dirty by your book?
@Ben (Comment 20) : look, sure Nonu is a dirty player, I am by no means his advocate. But I think that one week is fair, that was not malicious though… Cowan milked it and he should’ve been banned.
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 21) : Okay but just let me ask you question. Let’s say it was the same incident but instead of nonu it was bakkies. How long do you think the ban would have been?
Bakkies would obviously be booked a lot more, and I would’ve said that it was not dirty… Bakkies has a black mark in the headmasters book, nothing I can do about that sadly. The judicial system is warped, but from a non bias, non ulterior judgement one week was fair.
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 23) : But you see my point is here that bakkies is a dirty player and so is Nonu so why do they get treat differently? Sorry I know its not your fault.
i can’t disagree with you there, we both agree the system is flawed. The incident in isolation and the system in isolation… It is frustrating indeed…
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 25) : Yes I agree the incodent wasn’t worthy of more than 1 week but nonu’s reputation warrants a longer ban!
never got to see that game but one week really that is nothing
@try time (Comment 1) :
I agree…he did not only just shoulder charge…he jumped and hit Cowan on the head…