St George Illawarra five-eighth Kyle Flanagan will entrance the NRL Judiciary on Tuesday night time after being referred straight to the panel over the controversial Stephen Crichton biting allegation.
Crichton claimed Flanagan bit him on the nostril within the 62nd minute of the Bulldogs’ 26-10 win at Kogarah on Saturday night time.
Flanagan maintains his innocence and imaginative and prescient exhibits Crichton urgent his face towards his opponent’s face as they’re tangled on the bottom.
Crichton has taken to social media to taunt Flanagan by reposting a few Instagram tales – one which suggests Flanagan was “hungry” and “everybody needs a style of the skipper” plus one other from former Panthers teammate Brian To’o with the caption “in case you simply wished to kiss the uso, may of (sic) simply requested him”.
“His nostril is a bit swollen,” Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo mentioned after the match.
“I don’t know what to say about it, actually, so we’ll depart it there.”
Flanagan has been referred straight to the NRL judiciary over the incident, with the league’s match overview hitting him with a harmful contact cost however opting to ship the matter to a Tuesday night time listening to somewhat than grading it.
“It’s fairly damning, by the seems to be of it,” Bulldogs veteran Kurt Mann advised ABC Radio on Sunday, “but it surely’s not my determination to make a name on it.”
In response to the Sydney Morning Herald, father and son each denied a chew had occurred. “Kyle mentioned he didn’t do it. I consider him, 100 per cent,” Shane Flanagan mentioned.
“I’ve watched the footage, Kyle confirmed it to me, he (Crichton) is pushing his face into him whereas Kyle is on the bottom.”
Flanagan has a clear judiciary report however may have a prolonged ban of not less than 4-6 matches if proved that he deliberately bit the Bulldog.
NRL gamers are usually referred to the judiciary when accused of a really critical offence, or one that’s unable to be dominated on with out testimony from gamers concerned.
Crichton had seen bleeding on his nostril after the match and Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga mentioned on Fox League he had “little doubt” that Flanagan had bitten the Canterbury captain.
“That was laborious to observe and it’s laborious proof,” Meninga mentioned. “There’s little doubt that he’s bitten him. And clearly the repercussions of that’s Stephen’s nostril is bleeding. A reasonably laborious one to disprove to be sincere with you.”
Fellow analyst Cooper Cronk added: “Crichton’s face is up towards Kyle Flanagan’s, however you possibly can truly see the white of Kyle’s mouthguard at some stage right here. That’s damning proof.
“Flanagan could be in some hassle.”
Viliame Kikau celebrates a strive with Kurt Mann. (Photograph by Jeremy Ng/Getty Photos)
The Dragons later suggested employees to not touch upon the incident publicly given a judiciary listening to had been confirmed.
The final NRL participant charged for biting, Jack Wighton, obtained a three-match ban for lashing out at Newcastle five-eighth Tyson Gamble throughout final 12 months’s finals collection.
Gold Coast ahead Kevin Proctor obtained a four-game ban for biting in the course of the 2020 season, whereas James Graham (12 video games) and Brad Morrin (eight) obtained longer suspensions for a similar offence within the 2012 and 2007 seasons, respectively.
Any ban for Flanagan would create issues for a Dragons facet that probably must win three of their remaining 4 video games to ensure a primary finals berth since 2018.
The previous Bulldog has performed five-eighth in all 20 of the Dragons’ video games this season and his most sensible alternative, Jesse Marschke, has been sidelined with a hamstring harm.
Utility Fa’amanu Brown may associate Ben Hunt within the halves towards Gold Coast subsequent Sunday if Flanagan is unavailable.
with AAP
