NZ Warriors’ Discipline Under Scrutiny After Third NRLW Suspension

The NZ Warriors face increased scrutiny over their tackling discipline following a third suspension in recent weeks during their comeback season in the NRLW. Front-rower Matekino Gray and centre Tysha Ikenasio are currently serving multi-week bans for tackle offences committed against the Canberra Raiders. Now, lock Laishon Albert-Jones will also miss the upcoming match against the St George-Illawarra Dragons after accepting a two-week suspension for a careless high tackle on Cronulla Sharks player Stephanie Faulkner.

Albert-Jones, aged 27, received the suspension after pleading guilty to her second high tackle offence this season, following a prior warning from the sixth round against the Canterbury Bulldogs. Last week, Warriors coach Ron Griffiths acknowledged the team’s tackling issues after Gray was sent off for a tipping tackle, which left the Warriors two players short for nearly 50 minutes during their match. Despite the setback, the team narrowly lost by just four points.

Gray, only 20, is currently serving the second week of her two-game suspension, while Ikenasio, 27, will miss an additional week due to her three-match ban. Griffiths commented on Gray’s aggressive playing style, stating, “We ask [Gray] for one or two things in the middle. One of them is to impose herself on the middle defensive, and she certainly does that. It definitely went wrong, but while she’s aggressive, it’s never foul play.”

The dangers associated with certain tackling techniques have been a significant issue in rugby league. The tipping tackle has been particularly controversial since the 2014 incident involving Kiwis players Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, which resulted in severe injury to Alex McKinnon. More recently, the hip drop tackle, where a player places their weight on the legs of an opponent, has come under scrutiny for causing serious injuries.

Griffiths noted, “At the start of the season, the NRLW went through a process with the coaches over the hip drop. They showed us vision and provided ideas over tackle technique. If you evaluate how many hip drops are either penalised or unpenalised, it highlights areas we need to address as a code.”

The injury sustained by Raiders forward Monalisa Soliola, resulting from Ikenasio’s tackle, has sidelined her for the remainder of the season. Griffiths expressed his regret, saying, “It’s unfortunate. We’re still trying to teach her how to tackle out there, and it’s a valuable lesson that we’ll all learn. You won’t meet a better person, and she was very, very upset over causing an injury to someone else.”

Ikenasio, who served as a traveling reserve for the Black Ferns Sevens during the 2024 Paris Olympics, reflects the ongoing transition many players are experiencing as they adapt from a rugby union background to rugby league. Griffiths explained, “Some of these ladies haven’t played from U7s through to first grade. They could be in their third year of rugby league or even less, so we’re teaching them how to tackle in a one-on-one scenario.”

Unlike her teammates, Albert-Jones has a wealth of experience, including test matches with the Kiwi Ferns and an NRLW premiership under Griffiths at Newcastle. Her recent offence, a shoulder to Faulkner’s head, resulted in a penalty goal for Cronulla and allowed them to score a converted try while Albert-Jones was in the sin bin.

With Albert-Jones now sidelined, she will be replaced in the Warriors lineup by Makayla Eli, who made her NRLW debut last month against the Gold Coast. Currently, the Warriors sit in seventh place, just two points away from a playoff spot with three games left in the regular season.

As the team seeks to solidify their position, the ongoing challenges with tackling techniques and player discipline will be crucial to their success in the NRLW.