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'Really ugly': Tigers halfback cops HUGE ban for hip drop tackle

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The match review committee haven't missed Tigers halfback Aidan Sezer, with the playmaker offered a massive four-match ban with a guilty plea for a hip drop tackle on Bulldogs forward Josh Curran.

If Sezer fights the charge and loses, the suspension will increase to five weeks. Sezer was slapped with a grade 3 charge and it's his third offence for dangerous contact.

There was plenty of confusion at Accor Stadium during the Bulldogs' 22-14 win over the Tigers, after Sezer was allowed to stay on the field despite his "clear" hip drop tackle on Curran.

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The NRL has clamped down on the hip drop in the past couple of seasons, with that tackle generally always punished by a sin bin.

Sezer's tackle on Curran in the second half with the Bulldogs up 16-14 appeared to be a textbook example of a hip drop as described by Fox League commentators Warren Smith and Michael Ennis, who thought for sure that the Tigers half was heading to the bin.

"It got ugly here didn't it. Pulling him back over his ankles, and loses his legs. That's really ugly," Ennis said.

"Trapping him with his legs with all the weight coming down on the ankle of Josh Curran.

"This is sin bin territory this stuff."

"It certainly is. We've seen that established," Smith added.

"I think he's resigned to the fact he'll be spending some time off the field here Aidan Sezer."

It looked inevitable when Sezer was called out for a chat by referee Kasey Badger.

Remarkably, Sezer was only placed on report, much to the shock of Ennis, Smith and the Bulldogs home crowd.

"On report and he stays on the field. That is stunning," Smith said.

"Given that already this round we've seen a player sin binned for a hip drop, I can't believe he's staying on the field."

Ennis said the inconsistency between referees makes it tough for the commentators to explain to the fans watching at home.

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"It's so hard as a commentator to be able to give people a clear understanding at home of what the ruling is going to be on these types of tackles because that is a sin bin every day of the week from what we've seen,"

"It's a sin bin. From what we've been told, a hip drop tackle is a sin bin. That's a hip drop."

Smith then referenced the incident during Thursday night's Panthers-Rabbitohs clash which saw Penrith outside back Izack Tago sent to the sin bin.

"At this venue two nights ago, Izack Tago with a hip drop tackle on Jye Gray, and was sent to the sin bin," Smith said.

"Aidan Sezer here, a hip drop tackle on Josh Curran but stays on the field. And that's where you get confused.

"The Bunker is there. They had a look at it a number of times in the replay. That's the Bunker's call. They have to tell the referee in that situation that it is a sin bin offence.

"The fans were stunned. They couldn't believe it how Aidan Sezer is still on the field."

The Sezer tackle was paled in comparison to the chaos that unfolded later in the game, with the Tigers losing two to the bin for the final five minutes.

Tigers prop David Klemmer was given his marching orders by Badger for dissent while reserve back rower Alex Seyfarth was given ten minutes for an attempted shoulder charge on Jacob Kiraz.

Seyfarth could come under scrutiny for another incident soon after, with cameras capturing the Tiger headbutting Bulldogs rake Reed Mahoney.

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