Soliola to face music

CANBERRA forward Sia Soliola is facing a likely lengthy suspension after being referred straight to the NRL judiciary for his tackle that left Billy Slater unconscious.

The match review panel put no grading on the charge of dangerous contact with the head or neck yesterday as it sent Soliola to a judiciary hearing tomorrow night with no provision for an early plea.

Referees boss Tony Archer had already declared the Canberra forward should have been sent off for the ugly incident that forced Melbourne star Slater off GIO Stadium on a medicab on Saturday.

Beaten and losing touch with the top eight, Canberra’s season of woe is set to get even worse with winger Jordan Rapana also facing suspension. Rapana faces a one-two week ban after being cited for a shoulder charge on Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

Soliola’s late, swinging arm to Slater’s head wasn’t enough to convince referee Matt Cecchin to give him his marching orders early in the second half. In Soliola’s defence, Slater’s body height was dropping when struck but rugby league great Andrew Johns saw no excuse.

“The ball was passed,” Johns said on the Nine Network’s The Sunday Footy Show. “It’s a cheap shot, he should’ve been sent off. I know Soliola’s a lovely guy, but that was a cheap shot; as cheap as they come, and (he) should’ve been sent off.”

Johns claimed there was a defensive trend of late tackles in the game that was contributing to a scarcity of high-standard playmakers.

Archer did not wait for the match video review panel to meet before airing his opinion.

He said in a statement that, based on a review of the tackle, the incident met the indicators for a send off.