Hurrell bearing brunt of horrible clash

Konrad Hurrell of the Warriors. Photo / Getty Images

You have to feel some sympathy for Konrad Hurrell. He's on the sidelines for the next three weeks - and partly because of a stupid tackle by Anthony Tupou.

Obviously it's not that simple but the NRL needs to be careful about letting the outcome of an incident dictate the punishment. The suspension of Hurrell is a natural reaction to the severity of the injury suffered by Tupou, and that's understandable.

But there have been some shocking tackles this year - that could have resulted in much worse outcomes - which have gone completely unpunished.

Tupou's decision making was extremely poor. It's always difficult in the heat of the moment but the Sharks back rower had some time to sum up the situation, as Hurrell came at him on a cross-field charge. It looked like he elected to use his stronger right shoulder in the tackle, knowing it would be difficult to stop the Tongan juggernaut at full speed on his weaker side.

But he put himself in grave risk of injury; his decision meant he was at risk of a head knock, injury or concession whether or not Hurrell's knee was lifted.

In the context of the two previous warnings, not many have questioned the decision. But looking at the individual incident changes that; a lot of ball carriers brace and use their body into contact, right from the days of Olsen Filipaina and Mal Meninga.

The suspension comes at worst possible time for Hurrell. He'll have a lot on his mind; his running style, form, fitness and causing the injury. He won't need to change that much - and it is quite difficult to alter your running style - but he will need to make some subtle tweaks.

It's a similar situation with the Warriors. The late interventions of Ryan Hoffman and Shaun Johnson saved the day against the Sharks but they were very lucky. It could be a turning point for the season. Defensively they were much better - against a limited Cronulla attack - but the fifth tackle options are an ongoing headache. It's been an issue for some time now and is one of the hardest arts in the game.

The Eels are an interesting challenge tomorrow. Like the Warriors, they have a coach who emphasises discipline and who has been trying to change their culture. They also can turn it on at times and go missing on other occasions. Parramatta's game plan will centre around their left edge attack, looking to target the vulnerable right flank defence of the Warriors. Wing Semi Radradra is a huge weapon on the left and play maker Corey Norman tends to focus his play on that side.