Dejected St George Illawarra coach Daniel Lacey says the NRL must consider fine-tuning the women's judiciary system after Teuila Fotu-Moala copped a three-match suspension, ending her season in the four-week competition.
Lacey and Dragons captain Kezie Apps describe team morale as shattered after Fotu-Moala, who was one of several marquee recruits to join them in the off-season, failed to seek a downgrade for a crusher tackle at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night.
She became the first women's player charged in the NRLW and under the same system as the men's, attracting 300 base points (three games) for grade two dangerous contact.
A three-person panel consisting of Mal Cochrane, Sean Garlick and Tarsha Gale found her guilty just an hour after Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was rubbed out of the side's preliminary final.
"We thought we had a case to answer to the severity of the charge," Lacey said.
"We're not disputing the guilt of the incident but the grading of the incident.
"We were really shocked to see someone with a really clean record, who has played six years with the Kiwi Ferns and I don't think has ever given away a high tackle.
"I've got Teuila's best interests at heart. She's gutted at the moment. I've tried to get Teuila to the club for two years. She's a big signing for us, one of our marquee players."
Fotu-Moala banned for the season
Lacey was left further frustrated after the club were told they could not cross paths to the men's game and provide similar cases as a way of defence.
Any similar incidents in the women's state competitions were also unavailable given the lack of technology.
"This is the first [case] of its kind," Lacey said.
"I doubt anyone saw this coming or put the planning in place to see this coming. It's obvious in the fact that your first-up incident gets a whole season.
"I was unaware that a point system replicates the boys. I was unaware the charge, we can't compare it to the boys. It's absurd to think a competition has a points system related to the boys yet we can't compare it.
"We had no way to challenge the grading in that sense. It definitely needs to be fixed up."
Dragons skipper Kezie Apps was equally as devastated for her teammate and the club.
"It's our whole season and this is a time of the year we're all exciting for," she said.
"The guys might get a three-match ban but they've got another 20 rounds. I thought it would be different because our competition is only three weeks.
"It's heart-breaking for her and us. I don't know if they can do anything about it moving forward but hopefully they can look at it."
Week 2 – with Kezie Apps and Madison Bartlett