Newcastle Knights dummy half Phoenix Crossland's slender chance of playing in the NRL Grand Final is over after he pled guilty to dangerous contact.
Crossland was referred directly to the NRL judiciary after a devastating hip drop tackle on Nathan Cleary during Sunday afternoon's stirring preliminary final win over the Penrith Panthers at Accor Stadium.
During the first half, Crossland was sent off for a hip drop tackle that left Cleary with a compound fracture of his ankle.
The sickening injury has already been operated on, with Cleary confirming on Monday that Crossland, who has become the centre of vile abuse on social media, had already reached out to apologise.
Crossland's direct referral to the judiciary means the MRC viewed the tackle - taking the state of the injury into account - as worse than a Grade 3 dangerous contact charge, while the on-field referees, by sending him off, viewed it as the worst hip drop tackle in NRL history.
Multiple publications are now reporting that, instead of using any evidence that might have been shown to try and beat the charge and play the Grand Final, Crossland has pled guilty and will accept the sanction.
The NRL judiciary panel will have free will to impose a sanction on Crossland when they meet on Tuesday evening after listening to the evidence given in the direct referral.
Crossland could be set for more than four games on the sidelines, given the nature of a Grade 3 dangerous contact charge would see that as the penalty.
The Knights dummy half will receive a one-game discount on the sanction by accepting the early guilty plea, but is still likely to miss the entirety of New Zealand's Rugby League World Cup campaign where he would have formed a one-two punch with Jeremy Marshall-King from the Dolphins.
