Rugby League: NRL backs down on charge

By PETER JESSUP

The Australian National Rugby League yesterday dropped its case against Warriors second-rower Ali Lauiti'iti, with extra video evidence being cited as the reason in a clos-ing sequence worthy of Ripley's Believe It Or Not.

NRL video commissioner Jim Hall, who on Monday cited Lauiti'iti with a grade-three careless tackle count that carried anything up to a four-week suspension for him, yesterday withdrew the charge.

The Warriors had provided video footage taken from different angles from that shown on the television cover, Hall said. The extra film, from Australia's Channel Nine, convinced Hall to reverse his earlier decision.

"Initially I examined several angles of the tackle and one, in my view, showed contact with the shoulder and upper arm of Lauiti'iti and the head of Eagles player Damien Driscoll," Hall said.

"The Auckland club informed me they had two other angles that clearly showed Driscoll dropping down considerably before the tackle and endeavouring to duck under the arm of Lauiti'iti.

"Those angles show Lauiti'iti setting himself for a tackle in a crouched position and making contact with Driscoll with his shoul-der.

"The contact with the head of Driscoll was caused by a combina-tion of factors, the dominant factor being Driscoll dropping down just before the tackle.

"I came to the conclusion the contact with the head was accidental and the charge should be withdrawn," Hall said.

So now we are left to wonder about the vision and judgment of the judicial reviewer, who claims inability to judge the merits of the Lauiti'iti tackle on the television cover when no one else had any difficulty, as well as that of NRL chief executive David Moffett, who yesterday cancelled his inquiry into the audio link to the referees' dressing-room.

Sky Television has given the NRL an undertaking that its broadcast boxes will in future be off limits to football club staff, which apparently satisfied Moffett's aims concerning the conversation which Warriors chief executive Trevor McKewen overheard between referee Mogsheen Jadwat and touch judge Steve Lyons.

Moffett told the Warriors' boss he would not be fining him or the club and that he regarded the matter as closed.

That is a big turnaround from Sunday, when he was accusing McKewen of unacceptable behaviour and threatening big fines.

A cynic might wonder whether the NRL dropped the Lauiti'iti charge in order to sidestep any chance of McKewen raising the audio at the NRL judiciary, or worse, in the civil courts.

The league likes a tight rein on clubs, and Moffett is obviously keen to throw his weight around in his early days.

But sooner or later a club or a player will go to court over an issue like this simply because it is worth it. Suspension from play means no playing or winning bonus, fewer sponsorship and endorsement opportunities and no media invitations. Teams without their stars lose gate sales and perhaps competition points.

In this case, Lauiti'iti was facing a third suspension, a bad record for a 20-year-old. The club was facing the prospect of oblivion, with the players' mums the only likely spectators at this weekend's Bulldogs game had they lost at Brookvale Oval last Saturday.

And there has to be concern about Moffett's stated lack of interest in the contents of the conversation, which according to listeners included repeated comments about ensuring a uniform story was told.

There was one piece of justice. Touch judge Steve Lyons, whose erroneous report set the bonfire ablaze, was dropped back to first grade.

Warriors coach Mark Graham has predictably rewarded the players who beat the Eagles, making only the one, injury-enforced, change for the game against Canterbury at Ericsson Stadium at 4.30 pm on Saturday.

Jason Death is out for at least a month with a broken thumb and Monty Betham is his replacement after good starts from the interchange.

Meanwhile, Newcastle fans look set to do the Warriors a big favour by staying away from Marathon Stadium when the Aucklanders play there on May 27.

Supporters will rally in the park next to the Knights' home ground to push for the club board members to resign in response to its decision not to re-sign standoff Matthew Johns, and there is a suggestion they will then boycott the game in protest.

Warriors: Scott Pehtybridge, Odell Manuel, David Myles, Nigel Vagana, Lee Oudenryn, John Simon (c), Stacey Jones, Joe Vagana, Robert Mears, Terry Hermansson, Logan Swann, Tony Tuimavave, Monty Betham. Interchange Jason Bell, Shontayne Hape, Ali Lauiti'iti, Jerry Seuseu.

* Melbourne Storm second-rower Stephen Kearney has accepted an eight-week ban after opting not to defend himself against a spear-tackle charge.

Had Kearney challenged the charge and been found guilty, he would have faced 11 games side-lined for the grade-three dangerous throw.