'He's a strong kid… it was accidental': Coach defends footy star, 20, after dangerous headfirst 'spear tackle' - while fans call for a suspension
- Raiders coach Ricky Stuart defends player after charge for a dangerous tackle
- Raiders centre Nick Cotric was first player to be sent off in the 2019 NRL season
- He was sent off after lifting Dragon's players Tim Lafai into dangerous position
- Stuart said the tackle did not warrant the first send off of the season
An NRL coach has defended one of his star players after he was sent off for a dangerous tackle.
Canberra Raiders player Nick Cotric was sent off during a game against the St. George Illawarra Dragons on Sunday after he lifted and flipped opposing player Tim Lafai.
Players stormed in to pull Cotric off their teammate before referees came in and sent the centre from the field.
Raiders' coach Ricky Stuart was seething in the post-match press conference claiming Cotric should not have been sent off.
An NRL coach was seething after one of his star players was sent from the field after a perceived lifting tackle looked to put an opponent in a dangerous position (pictured)
Canberra Raiders' player Nick Cotric (pictured) was sent off during a match against the St. George Illawarra Dragons on Sunday after he lifted and flipped opposing player Tim Lafai
'Whoever thinks it's a spear tackle does not know the game of rugby league. If you call it a spear tackle, you've only just started watching the game and you shouldn't be involved in the game,' Stuart said.
'It's unintentional and it got away from him a bit - I understand that - but it was accidental.
'He's a strong kid and he's got no malice in him at all. I feel sorry for the officials who have to react to all this hype around it. I just thought it was very harsh.'
One commentator called it a 'horror tackle by Cotric,' and said there would surely be no issues with the call to send Cotric off.
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Another commentator showed some more understanding towards Cotric and said he felt it was just a regular tackle which went all wrong.
Cotric was charged with a grade three dangerous throw charge by the NRL match review committee.
If he pleads guilty early he will miss the next three games while fighting the charge and being found guilty will cost him four weeks on the sideline.
However a number of fans took to social media to slam the Raiders player for the tackle.
Raiders' coach Ricky Stuart was seething in the post-match press conference claiming Cotric should not have been sent off for the dangerous tackle
'It's a dangerous tackle no matter who you play for. Player's health and safety is more important by far,' one fan wrote.
'Intentional or otherwise, clean record or otherwise, if anything is or should be a sending off offence, it's sending someone head and neck first into the turf,' another angry fan wrote.
'You can call it whatever tackle you want. The Point is he dropped him on his head,' a third replied.
However not everyone condemned the tackle.
'Not worth a send-off,' one fan replied.
'A spear tackle is more straight, the guy was curved when he hit the deck. One week will be enough,' another added.
Cotric was the first player to be sent off since Melbourne Storm player Curtis Scott was given his marching orders for punching Manly's Dylan Walker last year.
Cotric became the first NRL player in 2019 to be sent off after his tackle was deemed dangerous and he was charged with a grade three dangerous throw
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