Penrith Panthers star Nathan Cleary has spoken out about the horrific abuse Phoenix Crossland is facing online.
The Newcastle Knights hooker was subjected to a wave of online vitriol after his hip drop tackle on Cleary caused a severe compound fracture.
In a classy act by the Penrith playmaker, Cleary has urged fans to stop spreading hateful messages to Crossland following Sunday's preliminary final.
Crossland's hip drop tackle on Cleary in the 35th minute of Newcastle's 22-14 win against Penrith resulted in a severe compound fracture for the Penrith halfback.
The dummy-half for Newcastle was sent off the field and referred directly to the NRL judiciary, as his hopes of playing in the Grand Final hang in the balance.
However, the forefront issue is the extreme abuse Crossland is facing online, as the 28-year-old injured star shared some of the messages posted after the incident.
Cleary shared an Instagram post that included threatening messages and abusive comments towards the Kiwi international, addressing the online abuse whilst being in hospital recovering from his surgery.
Cleary described the incident as a “complete accident” and said that Crossland does not deserve the abuse he is facing.
The Penrith halfback revealed that Crossland reached out to him privately to further apologise for the tackle, as Cleary says he has “nothing but respect for him”.
Nathan Cleary finished by saying, “Spread love, not hate”, calling for fans to stop the personal attacks and instead spread positivity.
Cleary's injury has ruled him out of the Rugby League World Cup, with reports indicating that he will be sidelined for at least six months. He was already playing through a separate foot injury in Sunday night's preliminary final.
Despite the tackle's controversy and the referee's decision to send Crossland off the field, the Knights player will face the NRL judiciary to determine his fate ahead of Sunday's Grand Final.
