NORTHERN PRIDE TEAM LIST - RD 2
Day free to play for the Pride after crusher tackle charge
AFTER a ”nerve-racking” wait, Northern Pride boom prop Aidan Day has been cleared to line up against the hard-hitting PNG Hunters this weekend.
The damaging front-rower’s clean record helped him avoid suspension after he was charged with grade one dangerous contact with the head/neck for a “crusher” tackle on Redcliffe prop Nick Brown. “He was just trying to flip him on his back, but it was in an awkward position,” said Pride coach Ty Williams.
“We decided to take the early guilty plea, which is 75 points carry-over, but it clears him to come away this weekend.
“It was a bit nerve-racking over the last 24 hours.
“If we lost him it was either me or (Pride football manager Chey Bird) who strapped the boots on to play in PNG — and I guarantee it wasn’t going to be me.”
Williams said it was good to see the QRL take a general stance on such incidents.
“We don’t want the contact around the neck region,” the coach said.
“We don’t want any lifethreatening injuries.
“Daysy was worried about it but, in the end, there was only a grade one to it, so we’ll just need to be very careful with him over the next couple of weeks.”
PNG Hunters v Northern Pride
at 3pm, Sunday, March 17 at Oil Search National Football Stadium, Port Moresby 1. Jack Murphy 2. Matthew Musumeci 3. Shawn Bowen 4. Enari Tuala 5. Gideon Gela-Mosby 6. Jack Clifford 7. Jordan Biondi-Odo 8. Aidan Day 9. Connor Jones 10. Will Bugden 11. Hugh Sedger 12. Tom Hancock (c) 13. Pete Hola 14. Denzel King 15. Cameron Torpy 16. Matolu Laumea 17. Maurice Blair 18. Jack Campagnolo 19. Bradley Stephen.