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Newcastle hooker Phoenix Crossland has been suspended for four matches for the hip-drop tackle that broke Nathan Cleary's ankle, ruling him out of Sunday's NRL grand final and the start of New Zealand's World Cup campaign.
Newcastle hooker Phoenix Crossland has been banned for four matches at a judiciary hearing on Tuesday night, ruling him out of Sunday's NRL grand final against the Sydney Roosters and the start of New Zealand's World Cup campaign.
Crossland Suspension and Cleary Injury
The suspension was imposed after a hip-drop tackle in the first half of Sunday's preliminary final that left Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary with a compound fracture of his ankle. Cleary faces months of recovery after undergoing surgery. Crossland said the incident had been devastating. It's been the worst couple of days of my life, he said.
He's my favourite player by a mile so to be the reason he's in hospital it's killing me. The 26-year-old joins an unfortunate list of players who have sat out grand finals through suspension, including Cameron Smith in 2008 with Melbourne, Latrell Mitchell with South Sydney in 2021, Steve Roach with Balmain in 1988 and Arthur Beetson with the Tigers in 1969.
Judiciary Hearing and Four-Match Ban
Crossland's fate was all but sealed from the moment Cleary's left leg was twisted in the tackle and he was sent off. Having been referred directly to the judiciary without a charge or grading, the only question was how many games he would miss. The hearing lasted 80 minutes. Knights lawyer James McLeod proposed a two- to three-game sanction, while NRL counsel Patrick Knowles SC suggested a four-match ban.
The panel deliberated for 17 minutes before imposing the four-match suspension. Crossland took full responsibility for a tackle gone wrong as he tried to save a try. He revealed he had phoned Cleary's father and Penrith coach Ivan Cleary to apologise on Monday, as well as the champion No.7 himself. I had to apologise first and foremost to make sure he's doing all right, Crossland said, becoming emotional when asked about missing a grand final.
It's 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.
Abuse, References and Newcastle Response
Crossland, who was awarded the Danny Buderus medal as the Knights' best and fairest player for the season, has been the subject of online abuse since being sent off on Sunday. Cleary has condemned that abuse. Michael Hagan and former Newcastle grand final winner Mark Hughes provided character references for Crossland. The judiciary panel members were Ryan James, Paul Simpkin and chairman Geoff Bellew, who were shown 12 angles of the offending tackle.
I want to thank everybody inside for a fair hearing, Crossland said. 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 winning this grand final, helping Harrison Graham prepare as best as he can and get a win on Sunday, he said.
Knights Make Grand Final Changes
In Crossland's absence, Harrison Graham is set to be promoted to start at dummy half against the Roosters. Teenage hooker Diesel Hagan was also named in the Knights' extended grand final squad for what could be a remarkable entry to the NRL. If Hagan plays on Sunday he would be the first player to make his debut in a grand final since Eddie Lockhart for Balmain against the Roosters in 1936.
He is no relation to Michael Hagan, Newcastle's coach when they last won a premiership in 2001. Crossland's suspension will be completed during the pool stage of the World Cup if New Zealand notifies the International Rugby League that he would have been selected.
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theage:‘Worst couple of days of my life’: Crossland cops four-match ban for Cleary tackleThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Crossland Suspension Nathan Cleary Injury Newcastle Knights Hip-Drop Tackle Phoenix Crossland Suspension
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