Cronulla Sharks lock Dale Finucane has spoken to the media following his appearance at the NRL judiciary, claiming he was surprised by the two-week ban he received for a careless tackle on Panther Stephen Crichton.
The duo clashed heads during the attempted tackle, inflicting a brutal injury on Crichton’s ear that later required plastic surgery. Though the charge was initially submitted as a Grade 3, Finucane was successful in his attempt to downgrade the charge after being found guilty. He’ll now miss two weeks, including this weekend’s vital clash against South Sydney.
“I was quite surprised,” Finucane told the Daily Telegraph.
“Given that our game hasn’t seen anything sanctioned for accidental head contact, I was optimistic coming in.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the outcome given it was an accidental offence. While I empathise with Stephen it’s going to set a precedent moving forward.”
Finucane could have accepted a two-week ban with a guilty plea but risked an extra week on the sidelines by appealing the decision. It’s believed the nature of Crichton’s subsequent injury may have affected the outcome.
“I didn’t think the laceration would come into it,” Finucane said.
“Every week players from other sides, myself included, have had a number of lacerations and bruises as the result of accidental head collisions. They’re going to be sanctioning that now.
“I wouldn’t change what I did because it was a calculated decision in a football context,” Finucane had earlier told the judiciary.
“It’s a competitive sport and we had to do everything to win. I wouldn’t change what I did.”
Meanwhile, Bulldogs player Corey Waddell received a five-game ban for his alleged eye gouge on Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, despite being adamant the contact was incidental.
