NRLW judiciary: Ashleigh Werner found guilty of biting, will miss two matches

Former bobsleigh star turned NRLW player Ashleigh Werner’s fate has been revealed, after she fronted the NRLW judiciary for biting Rooster Jayme Fressard on Saturday night.

Brisbane Broncos NRLW player Ashleigh Werner. Picture: NRL photos

Broncos winger Ashleigh Werner has been suspended for two matches after she was found guilty of biting Roosters rival Jayme Fressard on Saturday night.

The former bobsleigh star was making her NRLW debut when she became the first player sent off in the competition’s history for an incident in the 54th minute that saw Fressard immediately complain to referee Wyatt Raymond.

Werner was referred directly to the judiciary where she pleaded not guilty to the dangerous contact charge, but was found guilty by the panel of Tarsha Gale and Greg McCallum after an 80-minute hearing and just a 12-minute deliberation.

The two-game ban is due to the fact the NRLW season is only nine rounds long and that she received several glowing character references.

It was a unanimous verdict reached by the panel who based their decision on several photos of Fressard’s injury as well as the winger’s “immediate and spontaneous reaction” to the “intentional” act.

Broncos winger Ashleigh Werner is sent off for this alleged bite on her Sydney Roosters opposite Jayme Fressard.

Werner was distraught as NRL judiciary counsel Lachlan Gyles SC provided his submissions, adamant that she had done nothing wrong and that she was simply trying to breathe through her mouth due to a blocked nose that had plagued her in the days leading up to the game.

“I had a blocked nose that day,” she told the panel via video link before she broke down in tears towards the end of the hearing.

“There is not a single part of me in my life ever that would attempt to hurt, injure or do anything negative to another player.

“I would never, ever, ever go out of my way to hurt anybody. It’s not in my nature.”

Fressard provided photos of her left arm from the night of the game as well as fresh shots from Sunday and Monday which showed four puncture marks, swelling and scabbing as the wounds healed.

The Roosters winger gave a statement on Monday and doubled down when asked what had happened.

“I felt a forceful bite into my forearm, to the point that her bottom teeth left a puncture mark on my arm,” she said on Tuesday night, refuting claims from the defence that she could have suffered the injury at another point of the contest.

“I felt like a clench on my arm and I had to move my arm out of the tackle.

“The left arm is definitely more swollen in that area (now).”

Werner will miss the next two games. Picture: NRL photos

Werner was represented by Broncos NRLW operations and program manager Darren Robb who argued that Fressard was essentially grappling her and applied pressure to her face, preventing his client from moving her head forward in a biting motion.

“She is gasping for air,” he said, not convinced that there was any evidence of blood on Fressard’s arm.

“So it’s natural that her mouth will be open. There is no intent to clench down and close her mouth if she’s trying to get air into her mouth.”

Werner is the second NRLW player to be suspended for biting after Madison Bartlett copped a one-week ban for an incident last year and will now miss games against the Titans and Cowboys.