Queensland forward Reuben Cotter has revealed he was not eye gouged by New South Wales Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai.
Luai was placed on report for the alleged incident during the first half of Game 2 on Wednesday evening in Perth, but was left on the field.
He was charged by the NRL's match review committee after the Game 2 with Grade 2 contrary conduct, however, it emerged on Thursday morning that the charge was meerly for contact with the face of Cotter, rather than an actual eye gouge.
In the footage available, Luai can be clearly seen to have his hands around the eye region of Cotter, who was seen on television cameras sporting a lump in the dressing rooms after fulltime.
Speaking to the ABC though, the Queensland forward said he definitely wasn't eye gouged.
"I didn't get eye-gouged at all," Cotter said.
"He (Luai) just came in with his elbow or his shoulder, I'm not sure what he came in with.
"I just stood up for myself, tried to push him off me."
Cotter revealed the lump on his head came from a clash with Blues forward Liam Martin during the second half.
Luai will pay a 13 per cent of his match fee fine for the incident, but will otherwise be free to play this weekend for the Wests Tigers, something he has indicated he wants to do despite having to travel back to the eastern seaboard from Perth on the only day between the two games.
The Tigers halfback and New South Wales five-eighth, who was only called into camp late when Mitchell Moses suffered a calf injury, will aim to retain his spot for the decider in Sydney in three weeks, but will be under pressure to do so after a poor performance in Perth that saw multiple errors and missed tackles.
