By Adam Pengilly and Roy Ward
The NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley has accepted the sin-binning of Harry Grant “may be considered harsh” after the Storm star was exonerated at the judiciary following the most scrutinised refereeing decision of the year.
Grant, who successfully had a $1500 fine overturned at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night for brushing Sharks rookie Daniel Atkinson after he launched a long kick, spent 10 minutes in the sin bin last Saturday night.
The decision bewildered coaches, players and fans alike, despite the NRL taking a firmer stance to protect kickers after shocking injuries to Lachlan Ilias and Brad Schneider in NSW Cup matches this year.
Speaking for the first time about the Grant incident, given the judiciary proceedings had been finalised, Annesley conceded the decision to send the Storm captain to the sin bin could be considered excessive.
“We accept the decision of the judiciary in finding Harry was not careless,” Annesley said. “However, the published decision of the panel did find the action was dangerous with an unacceptable risk of injury.
“[Tuesday] night’s decision was the system working as it was designed by providing players with the opportunity to present their case. Harry argued he was not careless and the judiciary accepted his evidence.
Melbourne Storm skipper Harry Grant is sent to the sin bin on Saturday night.
“While the on-field use of the sin bin may be considered harsh in this case due to the minimal force involved, match officials will continue to treat each case on its merits and act in the interests of player safety.”
Grant could have accepted a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea for a grade-one dangerous contact charge, but instead enlisted gun lawyer Nick Ghabar to take a stand against the sanction given the confusion over why he was penalised and sin-binned in the first place.
Grant said on Wednesday that he hoped the judiciary’s decision would set a standard for similar incidents in the future.
“I wasn’t questioning the referee for the sin-binning or the penalty. That’s in their control and referees do a massive job week in and week out,” Grant said. “It was more about wanting clarity going forward and what it looks like.
“Hopefully, it can set a standard going forward and if guys feel like they are hard done by with a fine or suspension, then they have every right to challenge things and put things into their own words.
“They shouldn’t shy away from it.
“I think it was more so the principle and where the game is headed. I had the chance to fight it. I knew what I did was not careless or intentional - if anything I was avoiding the collision.
The Sharks went on to win the top-of-the-table match against Melbourne at AAMI Park with their best display of the season.
Having conceded a decision to penalise Dolphins prop Jesse Bromwich for high contact on Manly’s Tom Trbojevic was the wrong one, Annesley has urged his match officials to use discretion when it comes to controversial incidents, rather than black-and-white interpretations.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy was baffled by the Grant sin-binning.
“Harry wasn’t even looking,” Bellamy said after the game. “At the end of the day, I suppose he has got to take that responsibility, as in, ‘OK, look where you are going and try and avoid making contact there’.
“At the end of the day that’s out of my control and if that’s what they want to do [they can].”
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