Rugby League: McCracken let off the hook

The Auckland Warriors, who face the Wests Tigers in round two of the National Rugby League on Monday, are "somewhat bemused" at Tigers' skipper Jarrod McCracken's let-off by the judiciary on Wednesday night.

McCracken, a former Kiwi test captain, faced the possibility of a total of 13 weeks out of the competition after being put on a grade-four striking charge for alleged use of an elbow to the head of Brisbane prop Shane Webcke, and a grade-two charge of using his knee on halfback Ben Walker.

The three-man panel, comprising former Australian internationals Mark Sargent and Bob McCarthy, and former Kiwi Darrell Williams, were directed by judiciary chairman Justice Greg Woods to decide if McCracken's actions were deliberate.

But intent was found to be not proved and McCracken was subsequently cleared to lead the Tigers against Auckland on Monday night at Leichhardt Oval.

"Our reaction is that we are somewhat bemused that he can go from a potential 13 weeks out to not guilty," Warriors chief executive Trevor McKewen said yesterday.

"With Steve Kearney, Quentin Pongia and Jarrod McCracken seemingly slipping through the judicial crack this week, you have to wonder.

"Have New Zealand and possibly the Warriors used up all their luck in just the first round?

"All we want, from a Warriors' perspective, is consistency right through the year 2000."

However, Wests Tigers coach Wayne Pearce and McCracken gave the judiciary system a rare vote of confidence. McCracken had turned down the opportunity to plead guilty to a lesser grading on the striking charge but still admitted some apprehension about his chances at the tribunal.

But after being freed to play in Monday night's clash with Auckland, McCracken said the fact that the panel included three former players had given him hope.

"I'm just glad it's out of the way and we got a fair hearing," McCracken said.

"The big thing for me was that the guys on the panel could understand rugby league and know that it's a tough, hard game and not a perfect world out there.

"I just basically got in there and told the truth and I was confident with that."

He had been shocked to be charged in the first place and that the not guilty verdicts provided the biggest relief of his 10-year professional career.

Inside the hearing room, McCracken conceded his elbow had grazed the side of Broncos prop Shane Webcke's face but told the panel the incident was merely a shoulder charge gone wrong.

On the kneeing allegation, he said Brisbane halfback Ben Walker's attempt to drop quickly to the ground to effect a quick play-the-ball had made the incident look worse than it was.

"[A ban] would have been my biggest disappointment because [Wests Tigers] are relying heavily on me off the field with the younger guys there.

The Tigers' management were angered by the circumstances surrounding the charges.

The Warriors travel to Sydney on Sunday.

- NZPA