War of words erupts between NRL legends Andrew Johns and Billy Slater over Dolphins star Felise Kaufusi’s crunching hit on Jackson Hastings: ‘It’s the cheapest shot in the game’
NRL immortal Andrew Johns has labelled Felise Kaufusi’s brutal hit on Jackson Hastings as ‘the cheapest shot in the game’, but Maroons great Billy Slater believes the Dolphins star has ground to fight the charge.
Kaufusi flattened the Knights playmaker with a crunching tackle on Friday night, but was sin-binned after referee Chris Butler deemed the hit to have been high and late.
The Queenslander was hit with a grade two dangerous charge and can now accept accept a three-game ban or fight the charge, which could result in a four-game ban should he lose his case.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Sunday Footy Show, Slater suggested Kaufusi had grounds for litigation.
‘I can actually find grounds for Felise to fight that [charge],’ the Queensland coach said.
Felise Kaufusi (right) was sin-binned and placed on report for a crunching hit on Jackson Hastings during the Dolphins’ win over Newcastle on Friday night
Kaufusi flattened the Newcastle playmaker but was deemed to have hit him high and late
‘I think he pulled out of it late, and when the ball left Jackson’s [Hastings] hands he [Kaufusi] was committed.’
Johns was of a different opinion and scathing in his criticism of the Dolphins star.
‘It’s the cheapest shot in the game,’ the New South Wales great said.
‘Hitting blokes in the back after they’ve passed the ball.’
When Slater argued Kaufusi had delivered two crunching hits in the opening two rounds of the season without being penalised, Johns pointed out both tackles were of a different nature.
‘But the ball was in their hands, when he hit Brandon [Smith] and Hudson Young […] [when he hit Hastings] the ball was four or five metres out of his hands,’ Johns said.
‘It’s the cheapest shot in the game.
‘If you want to smash someone in the back, give away 20 kilos to a bloke and smash them in the back […] they are coached to do it, I hear it at club level.
Andrew Johns (left) and Billy Slater (right) disagreed on the punishment for Kaufusi
‘When the ball goes you can’t just smash blokes in the back when he’s not even looking. Someone is going to get seriously injured.’
Slater acknowledged Kaufusi was marginally late on impact, but insisted the replays showed why the Queenslander could avoid a ban when it confronts the judiciary.
‘I agree that was fractionally late, and I’m not for that play,’ he said.
‘But if you look at the slow motion, when Felise commits to the tackle he is committed when the ball is in [Hastings’] hands.’