Sims should beat judiciary, claims ex-NRL match review chairman
Tariq Sims is a big chance of winning at the judiciary tonight, with a former NRL match review boss claiming the NSW Origin hopeful and Dragons enforcer has one big factor in his favour.
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Former NRL match review chairman Greg McCallum has backed Tariq Sims to win his showdown at the judiciary on Tuesday night, sensationally claiming Sims was hit with the wrong charge.
The St George Illawarra enforcer’s hopes of lining up for the Blues in next Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider will be on the line after he pleaded not guilty to a grade-two dangerous contact charge for the incident that concussed North Queensland playmaker Michael Morgan. He will cop a three-match ban if he loses tonight.
But McCallum told The Daily Telegraph last night: “I think he can beat it by winning the argument that it was a tackle, not dangerous contact.
“To me, it was a tackle because the arms are wrapped around (Morgan). Both of his arms wrapped around him. It was his shoulder that made contact with his head.”
McCallum, a former leading NRL referee, was in charge of the match-review process for many years.
“I am not saying it was not illegal,” he said. “But I would have thought it was a dangerous tackle, not a shoulder charge (dangerous contact).”
McCallum also believes the tackle was not late, which goes directly to the severity of the charge.
“I have watched it,” McCallum said. “(Sims) was committed to the tackle. He actually commenced his movement into the tackle while Morgan still had the ball. So I don’t think it was late.
“No one is saying he is not guilty of anything. He is guilty of making contact with the head. But in my opinion it was not a shoulder charge and I would argue it was not late.”
Sims was last night named in Brad Fittler’s NSW squad, with Fittler saying David Klemmer would be brought in if Sims was found guilty tonight.
The incident sparked a war of words between rival coaches Paul McGregor and Paul Green after Friday night’s match.
McGregor blasted Green, telling the media Green should “zip his mouth” after the Cowboys coach took issue with Sims’s tackle.
Originally published as Sims should beat judiciary, claims ex-NRL match review chairman
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