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Kickoff 7.30pm Saturday, 23 August
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NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster has expressed dismay and some disbelief at the suspension that will sideline workaholic front-rower Jackson Ford for the remainder of the NRL regular season.
Ford has been handed a three-week ban, after taking an early guilty plea on a 'Grade 1 crusher tackle' on winger Corey Allan that went largely unnoticed during the 14-10 win over St George-Illawarra Dragons at Auckland's Go Media Stadium last Friday.
A crusher tackle is one deemed to put undue pressure on a player's neck.
"Big loss, his work rate is unbelievable, Jacko," Webster lamented. "Really disappointed with the outcome of that, but it's out of our control and someone else will get their opportunity to step up.
"The biggest thing for us is Jacko plays such big minutes - he can play the whole first half, which he's done a lot this year. We always find a way and we'll do that again this week."
The offence was Ford's third of the season, after he was fined $1000 for dangerous contact in Round 14 and $3000 for another crusher in Round 21.
Jackson Ford was cited after the game for a 'crusher' tackle on Dragons winger Corey Allan. Photo: Brett Phibbs/www.photosport.nz
Those previous penalties contributed the severity of this latest one, but Webster is incredulous at how quickly the punishment escalated from a modest fine to a multi-week ban for an incident that wasn't put on report or even penalised during the game.
"The ruling is, if that was his second offence, it wouldn't even have been a one-match suspension," he said. "He would have been given a fine and played, but because he's had three of those minor incidents...
"It didn't go on report or get penalised, but they want to clean it up after the game, so they have a look at every tackle and said, 'That one we're worried about, so we'll give him a fine ... oops, that's third, we'll give him three games'.
"I just think, if it's your third offence for a minor, minor offence, I don't get how you go from a fine to three games, not one game or two games. It seems to be a really heavy punishment straight away.
"My feedback to Jacko is three offences isn't good enough, but at the same time, I think the punishment is huge, considering it wasn't put on report, and the player just got up and played the football. No one even knew it happened, until you go back and search, and slow it right down, and then it's three games.
Jackson Ford may have played his last game for the Warriors this season. Photo: Brett Phibbs/www.photosport.nz
"That's frustrating."
Webster usually refrains from comment on judicial matters, often dismissing those questions as "our of our hands", but he broke his silence two weeks ago, when Dolphins veteran Felise Kaufusi copped just two weeks for a 'hipdrop' tackle that fractured the leg of Warriors forward Jacob Laban, potentially ending his season.
At that time, he expressed disappointment with a process that delivered its ruling without any knowledge of Laban's prognosis.
This latest incident raises further questions about the consistency of punishment, when an unpenalised offence is worth three weeks, but a blatant dangerous tackle that saw Kaufusi sin-binned and put on report - and Laban helped from the field - only earned two.
In addition, Kaufusi had already served a two-week suspension for a dangerous tackle in Round 15.
Elsewhere last weekend, South Sydney forward Jacob Host was charged for three separate offences against Parramatta Eels - two dangerous contacts and a shoulder charge - but escaped with $3500 in fines.
Previously a second-rower, Ford, 27, has embraced his new middle role this season, often off the bench, but reclaiming a starting spot, with injuries to co-captains Mitch Barnett (knee) and James Fisher-Harris (shoulder).
He led his team's defensive effort against the Dragons, making 53 tackles, and is still the only Warriors player to top both tackles and running metres in the same game this season, when he achieved that double against Canberra Raiders in May.
"Jacko's Jacko," lock Erin Clark marvelled. "He does all the little things, and is actually quite strong and has a bit of footwork on him.
"Just his energy, we're going to miss it and you know he turns up for you, but with the next-man-up mentality, we're confident whoever steps into that role will do it well."
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