A remorseful Phoenix Crossland has apologised to Nathan Cleary after being handed a four-game ban for a tackle that left the Penrith halfback with a fractured leg.
The suspension rules Crossland out of Sunday's grand final and will likely see him miss the first three games of New Zealand's World Cup campaign.
A teary Crossland spoke during an 80-minute judiciary hearing of the pain he has felt over the past few days and revealed he had apologised to Cleary for the tackle.
The panel deliberated for 17 minutes before handing the Knights hooker a four-game suspension.
Cleary injures leg as Crossland sent off
With the process complete, Crossland will now turn his focus to helping Newcastle topple the Roosters in Sunday's decider.
"I want to thank everybody inside for a fair hearing," Crossland said after the result was handed down. "I apologise to Nathan and the Panthers and more importantly the game and the fans. It’s a terrible start to the most important week of the year due to myself.
"As soon as I walk out of this building my focus goes to the Newcastle Knights and winning this grand final, helping Harrison Graham prepare as best he can and get a win on Sunday."
Match: Roosters v Knights
Grand Final -
home Team
Roosters
4th Position
away Team
Knights
7th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Crossland's suspension will likely see Graham start at hooker in Sunday's NRL grand final with Diesel Hagan expected to come on to the six-man bench.
Should he get on to the field, the 19-year-old will become the first player to make his NRL debut in a grand final since Eddie Lockhart in 1936 for the Balmain Tigers.
In presenting evidence at Tuesday’s hearing, Crossland described the fallout from Sunday’s incident as “the worst couple days of my life” and expressed his remorse for the tackle.
He also revealed he called Cleary and Penrith coach Ivan Cleary on Monday to apologise for the tackle, with the pair accepting his apology, and opened up on the extreme social media vitriol he has received over the past few days.
"I called [Nathan Cleary] yesterday. It was a tough phone call,” Crossland said during the hearing.
“I had to apologise and make sure he was doing all right. It was a horrific incident and he’s our best player. I reached out to his dad as well. I apologised to him. It ruined a great game and left a sour taste in everyone’s mind.
“He’s such a gentleman. He told me to stop saying sorry. He understood the situation, he was a class act and he was really good about it.
“It’s been the worst couple of days of my life. I’m a fan of the game before I’m a player. He’s my favourite player by a mile, so to be the reason he’s in hospital is killing me."
Crossland’s tackle was compared to a hip-drop tackle by Dragons forward Ryan Couchman in Round 3 on Eels forward J’maine Hopgood.
Ryan Couchman sent to the bin
Like Crossland, Couchman was also referred straight to the judiciary and he was eventually handed a four-game ban.
NRL counsel Patrick Knowles pushed for a four-game ban for Crossland after describing a “textbook example of a hip-drop tackle” that featured the three clear indicators of a hip-drop tackle: grip, swivel and drop.
Knowles also argued the tackle featured a high degree of carelessness and a high risk of injury, and the eventual injury suffered by Cleary, should be factored into the punishment.
Crossland’s defence from James McLeod focused on the speed of the incident, the hooker's remorse and his good character as he pushed for a 2-3 game ban.
Newcastle great Mark Hughes and premiership winning coach Michael Hagan provided character references, while McLeod also argued the social media vitriol Crossland has received should factored into the eventual punishment.
