Fans are calling for a footy player to be banned for life after he knocked out an opposing player by leading with his head into a tackle.
Roosters forward Dylan Napa was sin-binned in the 24th minute of his side’s Saturday night clash with the Brisbane Broncos after landing the sickening hit on hooker Andrew McCullough.
The forward had already gone in hard on a number of tackles before the incident, which sent McCullough crashing to the turf already unconscious.
Sydney Roosters forward Dylan Napa was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes after knocking out Andrew McCullough with a sickening hit with his head on Saturday night
Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough was unconscious before he hit the field following the brutal hit in the 24th minute, and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game
NRL legend Phil Gould, who was calling the game, said ‘it was always going to happen’.
McCullough was taken from the field on a medicab and ruled out for the rest of the game – which the Roosters won 22-8.
Napa was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes after his co-captain tried in vain to persuade the ref the hit was accidental, but fans on social media thought the punishment should have been worse.
NRL fans reacted angrily to the lack of severe punishment for the tackle – which forced the Brisbane hooker to leave the field for the rest of the game
Others called for the player’s on-the-field behaviour to be punished off it, saying he should be charged by police
Other fans of the game on social media thought the punishment should have gone even further, with Napa suspended for the rest of the season
Some fans called for the Roosters enforcer to receive a lifetime ban.
One Twitter user said: ‘What kind of a player leads with and attacks the head? You can’t even do that in the UFC.’
Others disagreed with the referee’s on-the-field call, saying that Napa should have been sent off.
Another said ‘if it was up to me Dylan Napa would play no further part this season including all finals.
‘Anyone that thinks it’s an unfortunate accident needs their head checked.’
But another went further adding: ‘Nothing but a thug. Ban him for life.’
The incident mirrored a similar hit by Napa on Brisbane’s Korbin Sims in a Broncos victory over the Roosters 28-22 victory in May.
The referee refused to send off Napa (right) for the crunching hit, though, which mirrored a similar tackle against the same team in May
Others said Napa’s behaviour warranted a lifetime ban, who has already been placed on report for the previous tackle on Broncos player Korbin Sims