Brisbane Broncos NRLW star Ashleigh Werner sent off for allegedly biting Roosters opponent – as the shocking act makes unwanted footy history
- Ashleigh Werner allegedly bit opponent
- Werner became first ever NRLW send off
- Roosters defeated the Broncos 36-18
Brisbane winger Ashleigh Werner has made history in her debut NRLW match for biting opposite number Jayme Fressard in a 36-18 win by the Sydney Roosters on the opening day of competition.
Werner became the competition’s first ever send off when she was given her marching orders for the alleged bite midway through the second half.
Fressard had her arm wrapped around Werner’s face while making a tackle and immediately reeled away in obvious pain.
The Bunker reviewed the incident and could see that Werner had clamped her mouth around the arm of her rival, leaving referee Wyatt Raymond with no choice but to send her off.
‘The Bunker has reviewed it. The hand goes into the mouth and she clenches down on the hand so she’s off,’ Raymond told Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw.
Ashleigh Werner was sent off for an alleged bite on Roosters winger Jayme Fressard
Werner became the competition’s first ever send off on Saturday night
‘From the vision, it doesn’t look that good, but any time an arm or a hand is around someone’s head and in contact with the teeth, knowing from experience it actually feels like someone is maybe actually biting you,’ Broncos coach Scott Prince said.
‘It is a contact game, and any time you hit the mouth you feel like you’ve been bitten. We’ll have to have a look and find out what the go is in terms of what the accusation is from Fressard.’
Fressard was certain she had been bitten during the tackle and has the marks to prove it.
‘Frezzy’s arm has got a few teeth marks in it,’ Roosters coach John Strange said after the match.
‘She’s not too happy (about the incident) but we’ll leave that up to the judiciary to deal with that. It’s unfortunate that happened in the game, but Frezzy is okay.
‘There are teeth marks in her arm, so I’m not sure if the mouth guard is shaped like teeth. There’s a fair bit of blood and teeth marks.’
Retired footy star Allana Ferguson thought the send-off was a fair.
‘It’s a hard one, because (Fressard) had her arm over her mouth for an extended period of time,’ Ferguson said on Nine.
Werner’s fate now rests with the match review committee which meets on Sunday
‘But, I mean, that shot there speaks volumes.’
Phil Gould thought that Fressard’s reaction to the incident may have contributed to the penalty, but didn’t think it was unjust.
‘(Werner) has her mouthguard in, so I’m not sure how much it would have hurt,’ Gould said on Nine.
‘But if she’s taken a nip on the arm that’s something that has to be discouraged , and it’s one of the things that footballers do hate. They hate (eye) gouging and they hate biting.’
Footy fans took to social media to comment on the send off, with most agreeing it was poor form from the Broncos debutant.
‘Bit of Luis Suarez,’ said one Twitter user.
‘What a mongrel,’ commented another.
Other fans sided with Werner, believing that the forearm was forced into her face.
‘I’m kinda siding with the player who had the arm slammed into her open mouth on this one sorry… Penalty should have been the other way around,’ said a user.
The match review committee will now decide Werner’s fate.
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