Bulldogs star Jacob Preston suspended for four weeks over failed judiciary bid

Jacob Preston’s State of Origin hopes have been dashed, with the Bulldogs star forward rubbed out of a blockbuster clash against Canberra after suffering a crushing loss at the NRL judiciary.

Jacob Preston’s lawyer has urged the NRL to clamp down on diving after the Bulldogs’ in-form back rower was rubbed out of Saturday afternoon’s blockbuster against Canberra and had his State of Origin hopes dashed at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night.

Renowned criminal lawyer Paul McGirr took up the fight on Preston’s behalf but after an hour-long hearing, he failed to convince the panel to exonerate the Bulldogs star.

Preston, who was suspended for four matches, was too shattered to speak afterwards but McGirr had no such qualms after his client was found guilty of a crusher tackle on Gold Coast Tino Fa’asuamaleaui that ended his slim chances of playing for the Blues in Origin I.

While McGirr insisted he wasn’t questioning Fa’asuamaleaui’s integrity, he urged the NRL to intervene to stop players laying down and behaving “like their heads almost fallen off”.

Jacob Preston has been suspended for four weeks. Picture: Getty Images

“I just have some concerns in respect to players – and I’m not suggesting this with Tino – but some players certainly appear to be lying down a bit in order to milk a penalty,” McGirr said.

“And it’s a concern that I hope the NRL look at in respect to those particular matters, particularly in light when players go down and behave like their heads almost fallen off …. and then they’re running it up two or three times in the next (set of) six.

“So in that particular respect, I think that has to be looked at. But again, Preston holds his head up. He accepts the findings.”

Pressed on whether he had concerns with Fa’asuamaleaui’s reaction on Sunday, McGirr said: “I’ll let you draw your own inferences.

”I’m a fan of the game and certainly …. a lot of people and the general punter in the pub is sick of it. After the game when you’re leaving, sometimes you can see players smiling, opposition players smiling at each other and laughing about it.

“In this instance, the referee never even called anything out. Another problem – of course I’m a rugby fan originally and it’s ruining rugby with it – they are slowing play down and looking for anything they can and things as we know look a lot worse in slow motion.”

Preston hopes of playing in State of Origin I are now over. Picture: Getty Images

McGuirr had argued that Preston had gone into Sunday’s game with a game plan in mind for Fa’asuamaleaui, having spent the lead-up working with his coaches on the best way to handle the Titans captain.

McGirr showed at least 12 replays of Fa’asuamaleaui runs during the game pointing out that he had a tendency to spin as he hit the defensive line to look for an offload or more post-contact metres.

“I don’t want to challenge his integrity but he is hitting it up and spinning and going into a couple of defenders backwards,” McGirr said afterwards.

“That can result in a few things – it can result in a better chance of an offload, it can result in getting more metres but it can also open himself up to injury. So it is a risk he takes.”

Preston gave evidence that his right arm had become pinned under Fa’asuamaleaui’s arm, making it difficult to extricate himself from the tackle.

“I am conscious of the position he could fall into and I am trying to remove my right arm,” Preston said.

I am trying to rip my right arm to avoid trying to put him in a dangerous position.”

McGirr compared it to putting a golf driver under Fa’asuamaleaui’s and then attempting to pull it out. Preston also gave evidence that one of his teammates clashed heads with Fa’asuamaleaui as the tackle came to its end – the Titans skipper stayed down afterwards.

NRL prosecutor Lachlan Gyles suggested Preston had lost his feet and that led to increased pressure on Fa’asuamaleaui’s head and neck. He said if Preston’s arm was stuck, he should have maintained his feet to ensure he was in control.

McGirr refuted the claim and told the panel that sometimes no-one is to blame for tackles going wrong. However, the panel reached a unanimous decision in a blow to not just the Bulldogs, but also potentially NSW. Blues coach Laurie Daley is due to sit down to select his side in a fortnight and Preston had been mentioned as a bolter for the Blues, although NSW have a logjam in the back row given the form of Angus Crichton, Liam Martin, Hudson Young and Haumole Olakau’atu.

Preston would have needed some luck to make the side but his luck ran out on Tuesday night.

Originally published as Bulldogs star Jacob Preston suspended for four weeks over failed judiciary bid