Phoenix Crossland set to miss NRL grand final after pleading guilty over Nathan Cleary tackle
Newcastle Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland is expected to miss the NRL grand final after pleading guilty to a dangerous hip-drop tackle. The tackle resulted in a serious leg injury for Penrith's Nathan Cleary, though Cleary has publicly defended Crossland against online abuse.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing debate regarding player safety and disciplinary consistency in professional rugby league.
Newcastle Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland will plead guilty at the judiciary over the tackle that left Nathan Cleary with a compound fracture.
Crossland was sent off for the hip-drop tackle in the 36th minute of Newcastle's preliminary final win over Penrith on Sunday and the match review committee sent him straight to the judiciary with a dangerous contact charge.
A hearing is set for 6pm AEST tonight to decide the punishment, with Crossland's plea all but guaranteeing he will miss Sunday's grand final, barring an 11th-hour miracle.
Dragons forward Ryan Couchman was referred straight to the judiciary in round three for a hip drop that ended the season of Parramatta's J'Maine Hopgood.
Couchman pleaded guilty and was suspended for four games after being sin-binned for the tackle that left Hopgood with a torn ACL.
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