Sharks centre Siosifa Talakai cited for ‘elevated’ knee strike that left Murray Taulagi unconscious

Siosifa Talakai, the centre for the Sharks, is now facing scrutiny from the match review committee following a knee lift incident that rendered Murray Taulagi unconscious.

As the game between the Cowboys and the Sharks approached the last ten minutes in Townsville, Taulagi attempted to rush in from the wing while Cronulla advanced the ball deep into their opponents’ territory.

During this play, Talakai was airborne as Taulagi went in for the tackle, resulting in Taulagi falling to the ground after receiving a knee to the head.

No penalty was awarded, and the match continued until the last tackle, with Taulagi clearly dazed and struggling in the background.

Eventually, Taulagi, who appeared disoriented and unsure of his surroundings, was taken off for a head injury assessment, shortly after Talakai was reported for the incident.

Mick Ennis expressed his belief that Talakai’s action was unintentional. “I don’t think there was any malice involved; he was just coming down and bracing himself. But that knee was definitely raised,” he commented on Fox League.

In a thrilling contest, the Cowboys were leading 36-28 at the time of the incident. By then, Taulagi had already notched up a hat-trick, complete with a celebratory “show me the money” gesture after one of his tries.

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Taulagi is currently off-contract and has been rumoured to be moving to the Roosters.

In the first half, Talakai also made his mark by scoring a double, while KL Iro also secured a hat-trick.

Iro’s third try occurred with just four minutes remaining, bringing the score to 42-34 and setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion.

In the closing moments, Nicho Hynes kicked towards the corner on the fourth tackle, giving Iro an opportunity for a fourth try. However, the defensive efforts of Thomas Chester, Heilum Luki, and Tom Dearden forced him into touch.

Shortly after, the match was concluded when Iro lost possession at halfway, allowing Luki to collect the loose ball and sprint away to score.