Widnes prop Manase Manuokafoa has been charged over the tackle that left scrum-half Matty Smith with a serious leg injury.
The former Bradford forward is accused of making dangerous contact on the former Wigan half-back in the 39th minute of the Vikings’ pre-season friendly against St Helens at Langtree Park last Sunday.
Manuokafoa is facing a grade C offence which carries a suspension of two to three matches and has had the option of submitting an early-guilty plea withdrawn due to the serious nature of the injury.
It was Smith’s first appearance since re-joining his home-town club from Wigan in the close season. The incident infuriated St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham and, although the club have yet to publicly announce the extent of the injury, it is thought Smith underwent surgery earlier this week.
He will definitely miss St Helens’ opening Super League game against Leeds on February 9 and could be sidelined for up to 10 weeks.
“It was absolutely disgusting,” Cunningham said. “It’s a tackle that I’ve been trying to get outlawed for three years.
“Matty has not even got the ball. He grabs hold of Matty’s shoulders and drops his legs. He drops all his 120 kilos onto Matty’s ankles.”
Manuokafoa was charged by the Rugby Football League’s match-review panel and will face an independent on-field operational rules tribunal on Tuesday, January 31.
