Frank Lomani's elbow to the head of Josh Canham. Photo: Sky Sport
Veteran halfback Frank Lomani has been suspended from all rugby for six weeks and his teammate and prop Jone Koroiduadua cops a two weeks suspension following red-cards they received against the Melbroune Rebels last week.
Lomani was red carded for elbowing a Rebels' lock Josh Canham in the head off the ball in the team's Super Rugby Pacific game on 5 April.
The Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) found Lomani guilty of contravening Law 9.12, which states "a player must not physically abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to punching or striking with hand, arm (including stiffarm tackle), elbow or shoulder."
Lomani has been suspended him until 26 May.
Koroiduadua was also red-carded against the Rebels for headbutting Alex Mafi. He has been suspended from all forms of rugby for contravening Law 9.12 until 27 April.
The FPRC panel that heard their case earlier this week comprised of Stephen Hardy (chairman), Ofisa Tonu'u and Stefan Terblanche.
In his finding on Lomani, chairman Hardy said the Committee upheld the red card and found the guilty, after conducting a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence.
Lomani escaped the mandatory 10 weeks suspension.
"The Player was given a discount for entering an early guilty plea (and other relevant mitigating factors), reducing the suspension from 10 weeks to 6 weeks," Hardy said in a statement.
"In providing the player the sanction, the Foul Play Review Committee emphasised that this sort of incident is not tolerated in any form of the game."
Koroiduadua also escaped a longer suspension because of his early admission of guilt.
Hardy said that in Koroiduadua's case the committee deemed the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point of six weeks given that the player and victim player were "head to head" prior to the incident, and that the player's head appears to have made limited contact with the head of the victim player and rather made contact with the chest area of the victim player.
"There was also no injury to the victim player," he said.
"The Foul Play Review Committed emphasised that had there been more forceful head contact made, the entry point may well have been higher than low-end."
The suspensions means that Koroiduadua will miss the game against the Hurricanes, while Lomani will have to sit out matches against the Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, Brumbies, Force, Reds and the Highlanders.
The 51-caps halfback will be available for the return match against the Rebels in Fiji on 1 June.
