One of the longest suspensions in Group Nine history has been drastically reduced on appeal.
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Kangaroos centre Fetongi Tuinauvai will now serve a 10-game suspension after a successful appeal in Griffith on Thursday night.
Kangaroos successfully argued that the initial 21-game ban was excessive and had it reduced to 10 games by the Group 20 judiciary, who heard the appeal.
Tuinauvai was suspended for 21 games by the Group Nine judiciary for a serious grade striking charge after punching Temora's Paul Ferguson during a fiery clash at Equex Centre last month.
It started as a 28-game ban but was reduced to 21 with an early guilty plea.
The Group 20 judiciary, chaired by Don Matheson, handed out a sentence of 14 games then applied the 25 per cent discount for the early guilty plea, leaving it at 10 games, plus 50 carry over points.
Kangaroos secretary Gabe Knight said the club was happy with the appeal outcome.
"I guess we feel this is a more reasonable result compared with what the initial penalty was," Knight said.
"It's more in line with the incident. It is a more appropriate penalty."
The successful appeal is a big result for Tuinauvai, who will now be free to play next year.
Tuinauvai has already served two games of the suspension and should be free to play after six rounds next year.
He is only in his first season at Kangaroos but is no stranger to Group Nine after previous stints at Tumut last year and also Gundagai.
The reduced 10-game suspension is only one more game than the nine-week ban Temora player Zach Starr received for the high tackle that sparked the incident.
Temora elected not to appeal Starr's suspension.
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