SYDNEY - The victim of a Jarrod McCracken spear tackle in a league match has condemned the former Kiwis enforcer's successful legal bid for compensation following a career-ending hit which left him in a neck brace.
McCracken has successfully sued the Melbourne Storm plus former international team-mate Stephen Kearney andPapua New Guinea representative Marcus Bai for damages. The New South Wales Supreme court ruled that a neck injury caused by a spear tackle effectively ended his National Rugby League career with the Wests Tigers in 2000.
Now a successful North Queensland property developer, McCracken stands to be awarded at least A$750,000 ($825,720) by the club's insurers when damages are determined at a hearing in August.
The verdict sent shockwaves through the league community with players fearing they could be liable for injuries caused by dangerous play.
A legislation change after the case began essentially protects players, but former Manly star Tony Mestrov is still unimpressed with the New Zealander's landmark court victory.
Mestrov was on the receiving end of a McCracken spear tackle in 1992 which saw the abrasive second-rower suspended for seven matches.
Mestrov never contemplated taking legal action and claims McCracken broke the code's "golden rule" by taking his case to court.
"I'm a believer in what happens on the field should stay on the field," Mestrov told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
"It's that old golden rule passed down in rugby league through time and I think that's the way it should be."
Mestrov said he felt for Kearney and Bai.
"I just think there was no intent - you don't go out to maim an individual. I think it was a misjudgment."
However, David Penna, McCracken's one-time team-mate at Parramatta, endorsed the legal action, and said McCracken was not being greedy.
"It's a good standard for the game, sometimes people don't see that just one spur-of-the-moment thing on the field can change a person's life altogether.
"It's not a personal attack on other players, but you have to be responsible for your actions."
Penna quit the game in 2000 in almost identical fashion to McCracken, after being hit high by then Sharks forward Andrew Pierce.
