DON'T expect to the brewing feud between Dragons coach Paul McGregor and Cowboys counterpart Paul Green to soften any time soon after Tariq Sims was hit with a grade two dangerous contact charge on Saturday.
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The charge resulted from Sims' challenge on Cowboys five-eighth Michael Morgan early in the second half of the Dragons victory in Wollongong on Friday night.
Officials had several looks at the hit on Morgan, that came as he passed the ball, and did not award a penalty seemingly deeming the shot legal.
Morgan was left groggy by the shot and left the field for an HIA. He didn't return withe Dragons going on to win 22-14.
Even with a guilty plea, Sims faces a two-week ban that would rule him out of Origin III, with the club considering whether they will fight the charge.
It came after Paul Green delivered a frank assessment of the tackle when asked about it in the post-match presser.
"Whenever that happens to one of your halves you're not too happy about it, no," Green said.
"I thought it was late and high. [Morgan's] not very well. He didn't finish the game.
"They bought it up in the NRL about protecting ball players after they play, we saw it in a different way there tonight.
"They'll look at the tackle and it was spoken about in that [NRL competition committee] meeting about protecting the ball players once they have passed the ball.
"If they have relaxed, they're the dangerous ones with the whiplash and it can cause concussion.
"I am not saying that was the case, I haven't had a good enough look at this particular tackle but it has been spoken about in the game and how we have to protect the ball players too."
McGregor was quick to fire back, pointing to Green's criticism of NSW coach Brad Fittler after the Blues coach singled out Cowboys lock Josh McGuire for a late shot on James Maloney in Origin II.
McGuire copped a grade one charge and missed Friday's match with an early guilty plea, but will be free to play in Origin III.
"He blows up a fait bit, hey?" McGregor said when asked about Green's comments.
'He had a go at Freddy [NSW coach Brad Fittler] last week too, didn't he? Yeah, he's got a lot to say.
"[Sims] wrapped his arms around him. How can you stop that momentum? It was looked at, the scrum packed and move on. Zip his mouth."
Saturday's charge will only raise the ire of the Dragons coach, who is well aware of Green's position on the NRL competition committee, further.
Sims certainly wasn't expecting to be charged, telling the Sydney Morning Herald post-match:
"There was nothing in that. I thought it was clean and I tried to wrap my arms around him and there were no dirty tactics.
"I didn't even take him to the ground and I just wish him the best in his recovery."
The shot looked similar to a tackle Sims made on Bulldogs five-eighth Jack Cogger three weeks ago.
Like Morgan on Friday night, Cogger left the field for an HIA and didn't return though, again after multiple replays, Sims went unpenalised and was not charged by the match review panel.
The Dragons can ill-afford to lose one of their star back rowers, with McGregor already trying to manage a depleted roster as injuries bite hard.