News Luke Thompson Live Judiciary Hearing

[spiritofaslan]

News / Live Score Link

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/07/27/live-blog-nrl-judiciary----thompson-herbert-plead-cases/

6pm: The schedule for the hearings is:

6pm – Luke Thompson (Bulldogs)
7.30pm – Patrick Herbert (Titans)

The judiciary panel consists of Dallas Johnson, Ben Creagh and Bob Lindner.

 

[spiritofaslan]

6.03pm: Bulldogs prop Luke Thompson's hearing has started. He is risking a three-game suspension by challenging a grade two dangerous contact charge for a shot on Sharks hooker Blayke Brailey.

He'll be free to face the Titans on Sunday if he is successful. Thompson is being represented by Nick Ghabar. All parties except judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew and NRL prosecutor Peter McGrath are appearing via video link.

 

[spiritofaslan]

6.17pm: NRL prosecutor Peter McGrath argues that Thompson made forceful and blatantly late contact to Brailey after he passed the ball and had ample time to change his mind.

Describing the collision as a "body check" on Thompson's part, McGrath says "you can see the degree of whiplash that is caused by the impact".

He says there was no "subterfuge or trickery" in Brailey's ball-playing and it was clear the Cronulla hooker was passing and not intending to run.

Not knowing that Brailey had passed the ball to Shaun Johnson isn't an excuse, according to McGrath, who claims that Thompson had "clear and unimpeded vision".

 

[spiritofaslan]

6.36pm: Defending Thompson, lawyer Nick Ghabar takes issue with the particulars of the charge that state Thompson's shoulder and arms made dangerous contact.

Ghabar rejects that allegation, saying it was "clearly" and "largely" the chest and torso of Thompson that impacted Brailey's left shoulder.

"It's frontal contact where a small man, having passed the ball, collides with a bigger man and, naturally, the force involved causes the smaller man to lose his balance and fall to the ground … exaggerating the significance of the impact," he says.

"You're left to wonder: what is dangerous about the contact?"

Ghabar also disagrees that Brailey was obviously going to pass and posed little threat to the defensive line. He believes Brailey could have passed to any of four players or dummied and ran.

While conceding there was "very, very marginally" late contact, Ghabar submits that Thompson "actually brings both arms up" to brace in order to "lessen the blow" upon contacting Brailey.

In the context, with Thompson propping off his left foot and making a beeline for Brailey, who was also moving forward, Ghabar declares a collision "unavoidable".

 

[spiritofaslan]

6.48pm: After recapping the arguments and giving instructions, judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew allows the panel to deliberate.

"I'm not sure technologically what happens," Bellew says, "but the panel members will stay online" while the rest of us are booted into "cyberspace".

 

[spiritofaslan]

7.02pm: Luke Thompson has been found guilty of dangerous contact. The panel is now going through evidence around a possible downgrade of the charge.

FUCK

 

[spiritofaslan]

A reduction from grade two to grade one could result in Thompson receiving a fine rather than a three-match ban.

 

[spiritofaslan]

7.29pm: Still no decision on a downgrade. The panel is hearing at length from both sides relating to two comparable incidents from this season – Roosters second-rower Angus Crichton's grade-one hit on Brisbane's Albert Kelly and fellow Tricolours forward David Suluka-Fifita's grade-two tackle on Melbourne's Cameron Munster. Nick Ghabar is in full flight.

 

[spiritofaslan]

7.36pm: The panel is now deliberating on the grading.

 

[spiritofaslan]

7.54pm: Luke Thompson's grade two dangerous contact charge has been upheld and he's received 340 demerit points – a three-match ban.

Absolute fucking bullshit. This game is beyond a joke.

 

[boxer]

Biggest joke. NRL is the biggest corrupt sport as it gets

 

[Captain Ibis]

It just puts more emphasis on how bad the "salary cap" is when bottom teams are no chance upon losing a key player, yet a team like the Roosters has multiple players retire, out for the season, etc, and yet they're still putting out a fairly stacked team

 

[BomberBurton]

Shit like this is what will make our next GF win even sweeter and oh boy will I be rubbing it in about us being absolute underdogs unfairly held back and down for so long.

 

[Captain Ibis]

15 players for the Roosters and still roll out a more experienced team than that of the bottom sides lol.. nice to know the salary cap works