Smith guilty of grapple tackle, out for season

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Smtih didn't stand a chance with Darryl Williams on the judiciary. 

September 24, 2008 - 7:24PM

Melbourne captain Cameron Smith was tonight found guilty of a grapple tackle at the NRL judiciary and suspended for the rest of the NRL season.

Smith was handed a two-game suspension for the grade one contrary conduct charge for unnecessary head or neck contact on Brisbane's Sam Thaiday and will miss Melbourne's preliminary final with Cronulla this Friday.

The judiciary panel of Royce Ayliffe, Darrell Williams and Darren Britt took just 20 minutes to decide upon the guilty verdict.

It is a huge blow to the Storm's title defence as the skipper is not only the competition's best hooker but the club's main goalkicker.

It also caps a horror day for the club as Test forward Ryan Hoffman was tonight also ruled out for the year after undergoing ankle surgery that puts him out of the World Cup as well.

Smith was found guilty of forceful contact to Thaiday in the 59th minute of last Saturday's semi-final win.

Smith argued that his contact with Thaiday's chin was unintentional and that by the time he realised the dangerous position he "immediately released" his grip.

"The whole tackle took three seconds. Contact with his face was one second at most, if not less," Smith told the panel.

"It is hard to rectify faster than that, I think."

But prosecutor Peter Kite claimed Smith made two efforts to "yank" Thaiday's head before he eventually released his dangerous grip.

"There is conduct here that should have been avoided that was not avoided," said Kite.

Smith is only the third player since 2005 to be found guilty of a grapple tackle by a judiciary panel.

Teammate Hoffman (2005) and St George Illawarra prop Jason Ryles (2007) were also banned two weeks after being found guilty by the panel.

Six players in four years have successfully argued against grapple charges at the judiciary.

Smith is the highest-profile and his penalty of potentially missing a grand final is indeed the harshest.

Smith joins fellow internationals Jeremy Smith (suspension) and Hoffman (ankle injury) on the sidelines for the crucial clash with the Sharks.

Jeremy Smith will at least be available should the Storm reach the grand final as he had earlier accepted a one-game ban for his chicken wing offence in the same tackle on Thaiday.

AAP
 
I must say I'm surprised by this outcome, pleasantly surprised though.
 
The article is wrong.  He wasn't found guilty of a grapple tackle.
---------------------------------------
NRL RELEASE
Melbourne captain Cam Smith was tonight found guilty of a Grade 1 Contrary Conduct charge (unnecessary conduct with the head/neck) at the NRL Judiciary.

He will be suspended for two matches.
End
---------------------------------------
Smith and Hoffman GONE for the season.  YES!!!  and Jeremy Smith gone for Friday.  Finally they are getting their share of the luck they deserve.
 
Rex, a grapple tackle is defined as that. - A grapple tackle is the media word for it where the official explanation is Contary Conduct.

But it is very good news !!!!.. all they need to do is break slaters leg and then i will be confident
 
Zep link said:
Rex, a grapple tackle is defined as that. - A grapple tackle is the media word for it where the official explanation is Contary Conduct.

But it is very good news !!!!.. all they need to do is break slaters leg and then i will be confident

And Crocker needs some sort of broken limb or to b knocked out by the ball again
 
He wasn't charged with a grapple tackle and Bellew would have got him off if that was the charge.  Smart move by NRL.  Allays (for now) my suspicion of News Ltd pulling all of the NRL strings.

BTW - Excellent software Dan - warning me of two replies while I was typing.
 
Dan link said:
[quote author=Matabele link=topic=178522.msg198142#msg198142 date=1222249449]
hahahahahahaha

Ditto
[/quote]

I'll ditto that as well. I really thought that he would get off (being part of a protected species & all).
 
Justice is served you beauty i would have liked to have seen Wellamy's face  ;D

I can't wait for tomorrow to listen to all the Storm supporters having whinge Gold.

 
 
Season over for Smith
24/09/2008 7:23 PM
Adam Lucius
Sportal

Shattered Melbourne captain Cameron Smith will miss the rest of the season after the NRL judiciary found him guilty of using a grapple tackle on Brisbane's Sam Thaiday.

Smith was handed a two-match ban, ruling him out of Friday night's preliminary final against Cronulla and the grand final should the Storm qualify.

The judiciary panel of Darrell Williams, Royce Ayliffe and Darren Britt took just 17 minutes to hand down the guilty verdict.

It's a massive body blow for the Storm, already reeling from the loss through injury of representative second-rower Ryan Hoffman and the one-match suspension given to replacement forward Jeremy Smith.

Visibly upset by the decision, Smith told the large media gathering on Wednesday night: "I got a fair hearing tonight but I'm very disappointed with the outcome."

"I still feel when I play the game – the game I love – I do with the utmost integrity."

There was no immediate indication on whether Melbourne planned an appeal.

The majority of the one-hour hearing was taken up by argument over the amount of time Smith had hold of Thaiday's head.

Smith admitted grabbing Thaiday around the face but said he released almost immediately and altered his stance because he knew the tackle was turning dangerous.

NRL counsel Peter Kite countered that Smith was using his grip on the Brisbane forward to drive him back in the tackle.

"Sam is a known surrenderor (in tackles) and my objective was to wrap the ball up and try and gain momentum and put him on his back," Smith told the judiciary.

"I had hold of his face and released immediately. It was one second at most if not less."

"I thought it was the wrong thing and my first action is to release Sam."

"My feet move away from Sam and I released straight away and stepped away from the tackle."

"The next contact was under his armpit."

"I was not putting Sam in any danger. I was not breaking any rules."

But Kite argued: "You were using his head as leverage to drive him back."

"You gave him a pretty good yank."

"(You) should have released long before that. It's reckless behaviour."

"It's conduct that should have been avoided which wasn't avoided."

Smith's legal representative, Geoff Bellew SC, replied: "The option he took was careful."

"He took steps to deal with it."

"How much more immediate do you want?"

Smith will sit out the opening match of Australia's World Cup campaign should Melbourne fail to reach the grand final.

---------------------------------------

I have to admit when he talked about his playing the game with the "utmost integrity" it brought tears to my eyes.




Of laughter.
 
Hahahahaha,

Just have a look at the link below before News Ltd wake up.  News Ltd had it all planned out, judiciary just didn't play ball this time.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,24396679-5016549,00.html


NRL judiciary clears Melbourne Storm's Cameron Smith to play

By Dean Ritchie | September 24, 2008 12:00am

Cameron Smith Melbourne Storm

/ The Daily Telegraph
MELBOURNE Storm captain Cameron Smith has miraculously escaped suspension at an NRL judiciary hearing tonight.

The decision has given Melbourne a massive boost in the club's bid for successive premierships.
Smith fronted the judiciary charged with a grapple tackle on Brisbane forward Sam Thaiday last weekend.

The Storm skipper pleaded not guilty.


Smith will now play in Friday night's grand final qualifier against Cronulla at the SFS.

He would also be available for the grand final, should Melbourne progress by beating the Sharks.
 
That is fascinating or has that been readied for the subsequent appeal and let off when Melbourne suddenly discover 'new evidence' and get him on some sort of technicality. I am not sure it is over yet.
 
Rex link said:
Hahahahaha,

Just have a look at the link below before News Ltd wake up.  News Ltd had it all planned out, judiciary just didn't play ball this time.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,24396679-5016549,00.html


NRL judiciary clears Melbourne Storm's Cameron Smith to play

By Dean Ritchie | September 24, 2008 12:00am

Cameron Smith Melbourne Storm

/ The Daily Telegraph
MELBOURNE Storm captain Cameron Smith has miraculously escaped suspension at an NRL judiciary hearing tonight.

The decision has given Melbourne a massive boost in the club's bid for successive premierships.
Smith fronted the judiciary charged with a grapple tackle on Brisbane forward Sam Thaiday last weekend.

The Storm skipper pleaded not guilty.


Smith will now play in Friday night's grand final qualifier against Cronulla at the SFS.

He would also be available for the grand final, should Melbourne progress by beating the Sharks.
  I've thrown that up on my Facebook page for posterity.  Will be interesting to see how long the article survives.
 
I am sure willstyles will clear this up or anyone else who has worked on the newswire pumping out articles.

They prepare one for either eventuality or at leas the framework of the article (because it is at night) they then bulk out the correct one and post it, this time, it seems both were posted
 

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