Huddersfield hooker Danny Levi says he’ll “stick up” for Sione Mata’utia to help the St Helens star avoid a monster ban.
Mata’utia was red carded for lifting the potentially injured Levi off the ground during Saints’ stunning 25-0 win on Friday. The RFL is clamping down on such dangerous incidents and Halifax prop Titus Gwaze was hit with an eight-game suspension last week for a similar offence. But Saints boss Kristian Woolf says players are increasingly irritated by opponents staying down trying to “milk penalties.”
Levi did play on after his former Newcastle Knights team-mate Mata’utia was sent off in the 17th minute. But, ironically, the Kiwi's also been on the receiving end. Although not carded, Levi was handed a two-game ban for lightly touching Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis in February.
The match review panel will look at the incident on Monday morning and Levi said: “It’s a bit of a tough one. I do see why they’re cracking down on it through injuries. I appreciate that. But sometimes common sense has to come in. I’m trying to stick up for myself as earlier in the year I thought that one was a bit silly. And if you have to be tough on one, you have to be tough on another.
“I do know him (Mata’utia) quite well. We grew up playing together in Newcastle. It’s a tough one. But 100 per cent no (on eight-game ban). I wouldn’t like to see that. I didn’t like to see him get red. I’d definitely stick up for him. I’d be happy to.”
Third-placed Giants hoped to show their title potential by beating the leaders. But they were kept pointless by 12-men Saints who also scored again when down to 11 men. Levi conceded: “You can see why they’ve been the champion team for the last three years. They were down to 11 players and they still kept turning up for each other.
"The desire they have to do that is what we’re aspiring to be. It felt like they had an extra man rather than being down a man. They get their numbers in the tackle and their line speed is unreal. But, for us, it is embarrassing.
"They were down to 12 men, and then 11, so for them to put that kind of score on us is embarrassing and a big lesson for us. We have to get back to to the drawing board and rectify that."
Saints have already secured their play-off place and are seven points ahead of Giants. But Levi believes his side, who head to fourth-placed Catalans on Saturday, can still chase down Wigan in second spot.
He said: "For sure. And it’s really important to bounce back. We’re going to recover and get back in on Monday and get cracking. It’s a big lesson learned there. We have to change a lot of things and to be a champion side you can’t lose two games running."
Ex-Manly rake Levi has been a revelation for the West Yorkshire club since joining from Brisbane Broncos ahead of this campaign. He played in the Challenge Cup final and has earned rave reviews. The former New Zealand international signed a two-year deal and hasn't ruled out extending it.
Levi, 26, said: "I’m open to all opportunities. But I'm not going to lie: I do have a goal to get back into the NRL. It is my main goal. But I can’t see the future so we’ll see what happens."
