Souths Star Sent Off for Costly Mistake as Viliame Kikau Awaiting Verdict from Wild Good Friday Encounter

The first half of the Good Friday showdown between the Bulldogs and South Sydney was filled with chaos, as Euan Aitken found himself in the sin bin while Viliame Kikau faced scrutiny for a high hit.

In a highly anticipated contest, the Bulldogs opened the scoring with Josh Curran before the action escalated at Accor Stadium.

In the 18th minute, as the Bulldogs attacked, Matt Burton put in a grubber kick and chased after it. He seemed to be obstructed by Euan Aitken, prompting the referee to consult the Bunker.

“He’s definitely making a play for him; this could lead to a sin bin,” Andrew Johns commented during the broadcast on Nine.

The Bunker concurred, penalising Aitken for a professional foul but deciding against awarding a penalty try. Referee Grant Atkins subsequently sin-binned Aitken.

While Aitken was off the field, the Bulldogs not only added a penalty goal but also saw Max King cross the try line.

The Rabbitohs suffered further setbacks when Lachlan Hubner was knocked unconscious while attempting to tackle Marcelo Montoya.

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“The risk of tackling low comes into play here; he goes in low and drops his head… when you tackle low, you need to keep your chin down and your eyes on the target,” Johns remarked.

Hubner was ruled out due to a category one concussion and was substituted with Tallis Duncan.

The match’s intensity escalated in the 29th minute as Kikau made high contact with Graham, resulting in the Rabbitohs centre needing medical attention for a cut above his eye.

Although Kikau was put on report, he avoided the sin bin for his actions.

Despite the tumultuous moments, the Bulldogs were unfazed and added another try as Sitili Tupouniua crossed over just before half-time, extending the score to 20-0.