Ex-NRL judiciary boss fears Billy Slater shoulder charge challenge will prove fruitless
THE man who rubbed Melbourne Storm star Cameron Smith out of the 2008 decider says Billy Slater is at long odds of winning a judiciary battle to be cleared for next Sunday night’s grand final after his shoulder charge.
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THE former NRL match-review boss who rubbed Cameron Smith out of the 2008 decider says Billy Slater is at long odds of winning a judiciary battle to be cleared for next Sunday night’s grand final.
Greg McCallum backed the NRL match-review committee’s decision to charge Slater for a shoulder charge in Melbourne’s 22-6 preliminary final defeat of Cronulla on Friday night.
The Storm’s quest for back-to-back premierships was sensationally marred by the sight of Slater shouldercharging a trybound Sosaia Feki in the 14th minute of the grand-final qualifier AAMI Park.
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Despite cries of support from NRL legends Johnathan Thurston and Andrew Johns, NRL authorities showed no mercy, levelling a grand-one shoulder charge against the retiring Storm champion.
The offence carries a penalty of 200 points. Even with an early guilty plea, Slater would miss one game, leaving the Storm little choice but to fight the charge in a desperate bid to save the fullback from grand-final heartbreak.
McCallum, who served as NRL match review chief for 10 years, presided over the panel that slapped Slater’s teammate Smith with a grapple-tackle charge in a finals match against the Broncos in 2008.
Smith, subsequently banned for two games, missed Melbourne’s 40-0 grand-final loss to Manly and McCallum declared the NRL has made the right call on Slater.
“I fully agree with it, there would have been fairly significant eyebrow-raising if Billy wasn’t charged,” he said.
“It’s a clear-cut shoulder charge — you can’t do what Billy did.
“He didn’t use his arms, there’s forceful contact.
“What happens at the judiciary is another matter but for the NRL’s own credibility and integrity, they had to charge him.”
McCallum admits he has seen cases of NRL players beating the odds at the judiciary but he believes Melbourne must conjure a virtual judiciary miracle for Slater to be cleared for a grand final swan song.
“It’s not a sympathy vote in there. Some people may think that because it’s Billy, he will get off, but the odds of Billy playing are very low,” McCallum said.
“Billy is a magnificent player and it’s really sad this has happened, but you have to have an impartial system in place.
“I was on the panel when Cameron Smith missed the 2008 grand final and that was another clear-cut case. He did a grapple tackle on Sam Thaiday and this is the time of year where the match-review committee has to stand up.”
Asked if Slater’s raising of his right-arm as he collides with Feki could help his cause, McCallum was unequivocal.
“No, it needs to be a wrapping action with your arms,” he said. “Putting your hand up is not considered wrapping your arms around a ball-carrier.
“That won’t save him.
“Melbourne could argue there was no intent to hit with the shoulder, but ultimately Billy didn’t wrap (his arms) and his shoulder made contact.
“I will say for the big games and the really critical calls, the NRL (judiciary) tribunal was very good and very consistent in enforcing the rules.”
NRL Immortal Andrew Johns says the loss of Slater would be a major blow to the Storm’s hopes of becoming the first team in the NRL’s 20-year history to win consecutive titles.
“If Billy isn’t there, they have to change their whole attack,” Johns said on Channel 9.
“Everything changes and he also organises their defence.
“Billy tells the forwards where to go and who to look out for. You can’t replace him. It’s impossible.”
Originally published as Ex-NRL judiciary boss fears Billy Slater shoulder charge challenge will prove fruitless