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The premiership hopes of two clubs lay in the hands of the NRL judiciary counsel’s ability to prove the intent of spitting charges levelled at Wade McKinnon and Matt Hilder.
The NRL match review committee today referred both incidents straight to the judiciary on Wednesday night without grading after conducting extensive interviews with the two alleged spitting targets.
McKinnon is accused of spitting at touch judge Brett Suttor in the 49th minute of the New Zealand Warriors’ 42-20 win over Penrith in Auckland yesterday, while Newcastle hooker Hilder allegedly spat at Melbourne winger Anthony Quinn.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said the club would vigorously defend the McKinnon charge, while his Knights counterpart Steve Burraston would seek additional footage before commenting on a plea.
Both sides are locked in the battle for the last remaining berth in the NRL top eight heading into the final round of the regular season.
“(Wade) knows he didn’t do anything wrong,” Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said today.
“Players spit — but Wade didn’t spit at anyone.
“We’ve spoken to Wade this morning, we’ve viewed all the tapes and we’ve decided to defend it.
“You’d be silly to think the he doesn’t actually spit. He wears a double mouthguard, he spits all the time.
“But he didn’t intentionally spit at the touch judge.”
McKinnon has been a key figure in the Warriors end-of-season rally back to ninth place, with the club winning three of their past four matches since his return from knee injury.
But the former Eels custodian has long endured a volatile relationship with officials and last year served a two-match suspension for pushing referee Jason Robinson.
While initial television footage showed McKinnon spit, it is not known whether it was aimed directly at Suttor.
Hilder’s charge looks even murkier with Quinn only appearing to take exception after the fulltime siren, more than a minute after the alleged offence was said to have occurred.
While not the most glamorous player in the Knights line-up, Hilder has become an important figure in the No.9 jumper after Danny Buderus went down with a season-ending bicep injury last week.
Burraston said he would seek the same additional footage made available to the match review committee before deciding how the club would approach Wednesday night’s hearing.
“We will have to a look to see if we have any alternate (television) views,” Burraston said.
“The one that I looked at I can’t see any evidence (of spitting at Quinn) and I think I have the right view.
“It surprises me a little because I thought Anthony Quinn would have reacted at the time that it happened.
“I certainly saw Anthony wipe himself for some reason, whether that was sweat, dirt or something else I’m not sure.
“There was no evidence he spat and he didn’t react to the player at that time.
“I certainly don’t believe that Matt Hilder is that type of player.
“We will defend it and we will defend it vigorously, unless there is something which shows (he did it) and I would be very surprised if there is.
“If there is then we will take our medicine.”
Just what medicine will be dished out is also unclear, though even a one week ban for either player could dramatically impact their team’s finals hopes.
Five players have been charged with spitting in the history of top level rugby league, but only one – Balmain centre Jamie Corcoran — served any time on the sidelines.
Corcoran was banned for two matches while rugby league Immortal Wally Lewis was fined $2000 for spitting while at Brisbane in 1989.
The most recent player charged with spitting — Manly hooker Shayne Dunley — was found not guilty after successfully appealing a guilty verdict in 2005.
While replays show Quinn wiping his face after the alleged incident, Hilder told the Nine Network he didn’t spit at the NSW Origin flyer.
“He might have copped a knock to the head or something, he’s just imagining things,” Hilder said.
“We had a little run-in during the game but that was it.
“I think that was what he blew up at at the end of the game and then he came up with this spitting allegation, I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
Factbox on ARL/NRL players charged with spitting:
Wally Lewis (Brisbane) 1989 10 Guilty None Fined $2000
Jim Cowell (Gold Coast) 1989 10 Guilty None Fined $1000
Jamie Corcoran (Balmain) 1993 3 Guilty 2 weeks Fined $2500 by Balmain
Matthew Ridge (Auckland) 1998 10 Not Guilty – –
Shayne Dunley (Manly) 2005 11 Not Guilty* – –
*Appealed initial guilty verdict
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