U-20s Warrior banned for a shoulder chargeA New Zealand Warriors under-20s player was traumatised after his sickening shoulder charge left a Canberra Raiders opponent hospitalised with a career-threatening head injury and serious facial damage.
Viliami Kaveinga today became the first player to be suspended under the ARL Commission's controversial shoulder charge ban following his hit on Raiders hooker Matt Frawley during Saturday night's drawn Holden Cup curtain raiser at Canberra Stadium.
Bloodied and disorientated, Frawley was taken to hospital for tests after being stretchered off in the 70th minute.
He was released the next day but then recalled to hospital after a scan revealed bleeding on his brain.
Frawley's mouth was also badly lacerated by the impact and he will require dental work after teeth bit into his jaw line.
New Zealand Warriors doctor Simon Mayhew was on the sidelines awaiting the NRL match between the two clubs and helped stabilise Frawley.
"Their doc went out, and then he went back to get something and I just said 'Do you want a hand?' He said 'yes' and he (Frawley) was still out when I got there," said Mayhew, estimating he arrived about three minutes after the collision.
Frawley had been convulsing before regaining consciousness but was able to converse with medical staff as he was taken from the ground.
"From what we've heard there was a small bleed on the brain," said Mayhew, who is in Canberra with the Kiwis as they prepare for Friday's Anzac Test.
Mayhew said Kaveinga was "absolutely mortified" by the extent of Frawley's injuries.
"He didn't know quite what happened. I was telling him after the game and he was not happy at all.
"He went to go and check on him but he'd already gone to hospital. He was quite downcast."
The wing, who was immediately sent off, pleaded guilty to a grade five shoulder charge offence and was banned for five games.
Frawley had broken the line and passed to a support player before Kaveinga came in and clattered him - a collision reminiscent of a Greg Inglis shoulder charge on now-retired St George-Illawarra Dragon Dean Young last year.
The Inglis tackle was held up as one of the worst examples of the shoulder charge and evidence of the need to have the tackle outlawed.
"This was the style of tackle highlighted in the report commissioned by the ARLC, resulting in the shoulder charge ban going forward at all levels," NRL general manager of football operations Nathan McGuirk told AAP after reviewing Kaveinga's tackle.
"On this occasion, the player clearly broke the rule regarding shoulder charges and will serve a substantial penalty."
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/8558655/U-20s-Warrior-banned-for-a-shoulder-charge
Topic: Banned Warrior mortified by extent of injury to Raider after sickening shoulder
