Canberra Raiders assistant coach Michael Maguire has responded to allegations that Jack Wighton bit Knights playmaker Tyson Gamble.
In front of a sell-out crowd, the bunker couldn't definitively prove Wighton had engaged in biting Tyson Gamble's arm. The Raiders centre was placed on report by referee Ashley Klein for further investigation post-match.
Wighton maintained immediately after the incident to Gamble and referee Klein that he had never bitten down on the arm, despite TV cameras appearing to pick up teeth marks.
“We didn't talk too much about it, that's going to come down to whoever has to adjudicate, what they believed happened in that situation,” Maguire told SEN 1170 Afternoons.
“When you're in a game and you've got arms wrapped around mouths and heads, you can squeeze quite tight.
“I guess it comes down to the judgment of whoever believes what happened in that moment of time.”
Jack Wighton was sent straight to the judiciary by the Match Review Committee for the allegations, but the case could hinge on whether or not Tyson Gamble attends the hearing and gives evidence regarding the incident.
“The arm was wrapped around, it was tight,” Maguire added.
“We're always making sure that we're telling our players to get nice and tight in your tackles.
“If you've got it stuck in someone's mouth, I guess a situation like that could happen.”
The last time a player in the NRL was charged for biting occurred in 2020. Kevin Proctor was suspended for four weeks after biting Shaun Johnson.
