Kyle Flanagan maintained “I did not bite Stephen Crichton”, despite being found guilty of doing just that at the NRL judiciary.
In a huge blow for St George Illawarra’s finals hopes, Flanagan was hit with a four-match ban for biting Crichton’s nose midway through the season half of Saturday night’s blockbuster clash against the Bulldogs.
Canterbury captain Crichton did not complain on Saturday night, while it remains unclear if the Bulldogs informed a ground manager at Nestrata Jubilee Stadium of the incident after full-time.
Crichton did not attend the two-hour hearing at League HQ on Tuesday night.
The two-man panel of Greg McCallum and Henry Perenara reached a unanimous verdict, and were satisfied Flanagan’s mouth was “fully closed around player Crichton’s nose at one point”, and it was “forceful”.
The NRL pushed for a four- to six-week ban, while Flanagan’s lawyer suggested anything more than a two-match ban would be “excessive”. Flanagan will return for the finals should the ninth-placed Dragons get there.
Dragons five-eighth Kyle Flanagan was accused of biting Stephen Crichton during this tackle.Credit: Fox Sports
A disappointed Flanagan told the press afterwards: “I’m disappointed, but my focus now turns to the Dragons and how I can help them the next four weeks. I didn’t bite Stephen Crichton.”
Flanagan, 25, said he awoke to the damning headlines on Sunday, and felt “shattered, upset, disappointed – I didn’t see myself being in this situation”.
Nine different camera angles of the tackle were shown inside the hearing, as well as four images of Crichton’s wounds. The final image featured a few deep gashes beneath his nostrils.
There was also footage shown of Crichton approaching Flanagan a few minutes later, when the pair needed to be separated.
Kyle Flanagan arrives at League HQ with Dragons CEO Ryan Webb and general manager Ben Haran.Credit: Wolter Peeters/SMH
When asked what was said, Flanagan told the hearing there was zero mention of biting, and they had simply told each other to “f--- off”.
NRL counsel Lachlan Gyles asked Flanagan what else could have caused Crichton’s puncture wounds, and “the bite marks came from nothing else”. He told Flanagan he had turned his head towards Crichton’s face.
Gyles added that “just because the player doesn’t make a complaint on the field, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t bitten”.
Flanagan, who only weights 83kg, said he felt like he was being suffocated by the heavier Crichton. He admitted there was a partial closing of his mouth on Crichton’s nose, but said he was not consciously aware it had happened, and had his eyes closed the entire time.
His lawyer, James McLeod, said there was no way Flanagan had intentionally bitten Crichton, which was required to satisfy the serious dangerous contact charge, and there was no clear clenching of the jaw muscles.
McLeod also said it was “extraordinary” Crichton had not appeared in person to give evidence or be cross-examined.
Judiciary chair Geoff Bellew later told McCallum and Perenara to “not speculate why [Crichton] was not there, or what he might or might not have said”.
Jack Wighton was the last player to be found guilty of biting, suspended for three matches after an incident involving Newcastle’s Tyson Gamble while playing for Canberra during the finals series last year. Kevin Proctor was banned for four games for biting Shaun Johnson in 2020. Proctor was sent off by Perenara who sat in on the panel on Tuesday night.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now