North Queensland coach Paul Green has sensationally claimed they did not bother to fight back-rower Tariq Sims’ shoulder charge ban because they have no faith in the NRL match review and judiciary process.
Sims’ career with North Queensland is officially over after the Newcastle-bound enforcer accepted a five-week suspension.
Fellow key finals star Anthony Watmough will miss Manly’s elimination final against Canterbury at Allianz Stadium after he entered an early guilty plea for a grade one dangerous throw charge and copped one week.
Cowboys football manager Peter Parr earlier on Tuesday admitted the club questioned the NRL match review’s consistency after it ignored Canterbury giant Tony Williams’ shoulder charge that struck Gold Coast playmaker Aidan Sezer and forced him off the field with concussion last week.
But Green did not mince his words when asked about Sims’ grade three shoulder charge.
“Paul Green says the club has no faith in the match review and judiciary process and that was a reason why we didn’t push on with Tariq,” the Cowboys tweeted after Green’s Tuesday press conference.
The explosive tweet is sure to stoke more conspiracy theories up north after the Cowboys accused the NRL of being “Sydney-centric” last season.
North Queensland have had a strained relationship in the past with the NRL after refereeing howlers marred their ill-fated finals campaigns of the past two seasons.
“We’ve been concerned with consistency with charges before this,” Parr told AAP.
“We’ve got some views on this whole incident and what has occurred with charges over the last few days but we will keep them to ourselves.”
Parr said they opted not to fight Sims’ charge so there were no distractions ahead of Friday night’s semi-final clash against defending premiers the Roosters at Allianz Stadium.
“We contemplated it (fighting) long and hard,” he said.
“We thought in the end given the severity of the charge it would have been difficult to get a not guilty verdict.
“We also thought it would be tying up a lot of time and key people in the football department with a game to play in 72 hours.”
Watmough risked two weeks on the sidelines if he challenged his charge and lost, and the Sea Eagles will now have their fingers crossed that their depleted forward pack can lift to knock out the Bulldogs on Saturday night.
That would allow Test and Origin back-rower Watmough to be back on deck for a preliminary final clash against Penrith.
But if Manly lose, Watmough may have also played his last game for the Sea Eagles amid rumours he may be given a release to join Parramatta.
In other judiciary news, Manly captain Jamie Lyon took the early guilty plea as expected for his part in the lifting tackle on South Sydney fullback Greg Inglis that landed Watmough in hot water.
But Lyon escapes suspension by taking the plea.
Joel
Guest
Ian, it was explained, the drama and distraction to the team of it was not worth the trouble.
Griggso
Guest
Ok - good point, well made. Edit: Nobody (apart from Bulldog) is suggesting its a conspiracy. ;) Would you agree that there have been numerous baffling decisions from the judiciary this season, that would lead a reasonable person to lose confidence in the process?
LexTeeS
Guest
Is this a short memory contest that no one has told me about??? I think the judiciary might still have you by a few yards E-reader
mushi
Guest
Really so someone saying "one step closer to the NRL preferred all sydney grand final" doesn't even have a hint of conspiracy suggested?
mushi
Guest
Agree I feel it was probably graded too harshly but he was never going to get off so why help the knights?
Griggso
Guest
Mate - nobody is suggesting its a conspiracy. It's a question of competence and consistency. Perhaps we should have a straw poll of Roarers who have confidence in the judiciary process? Anyone? Anyone?
up in the north
Guest
Good on Green & Parr for saying it like they did. The players will hopefully use this as an extra motivation, so that's a good thing too. I don't blame them for not challenging the decision either, better to cop it on the chin, get the best prep' they can and front up on friday with a siege mentallity.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I'm pretty sure that we can all agree that no one has faith in the judiciary, but let's be honest, that has very little to do with the cowboys not fighting sims charge, it's a case that they'd be hard pressed to win for very little pay-off. But can we please stop accusing the cowboys of conspiracy theories, it's nothing more than a coach trying to get his team a mentally prepared to play without sims. Seriously, hasler does it every week and no one accuses him of being a loony, it's just expected.
djcooper
Roar Guru
Do you have faith in the match review committee eaglejack?
Roarsome
Guest
You never know EJ, they might get through this week on siege mentality. Not sure what next weeks gripe will be though.
Trenno
Guest
Unless they could get it down to 2 weeks there was no point in fighting it as they would only have been helping the Knights next year. I think they had a great case, especially with the precedent that has been set through-out the season but unfortunately they were never going to get it thrown out. Even if they got it down to 2 weeks that would only help them if the make the GF, which I still believe they have the team to do. In the end it would have been the hard decision but I think it is the right one for the team going forward. Now lets pluck those Roosters!!!!
eagleJack
Guest
You could maybe argue the Sims tackle should he a Grade 2 but with priors he would still be looking at 3 weeks with an early plea. Hand of Foran was one incident in a game the Cowboys never led and never looked like winning. The 7 tackle try happened in the first 8mins of the game. The Cowboys, if they want to win the comp, need to start taking responsibility for their own misfortunes. Their record in Sydney is abysmal. And that has nothing to do with the refs. Teams get dud calls. The Cowboys need to win 3 tough games in Sydney to claim the premiership. Judging by Green and Parr's responses today, they don't have the mental strength to achieve that. But I'm sure we will hear that it is a conspiracy. Nothing to do with having an underperforming roster. I wish them all the best. They are a good team. But they need to stop looking for excuses.
Rellum
Roar Guru
And here is me thinking the dominate first half by the Cowboys was the turning point, if you can call a half a turning point.
Jake
Guest
still don't know how or why tony williams got off free and Sims cops this? i can easily see why Nth Qld are upset, it's the same garbage getting served up. its pretty unfortunate that it continues to be cowboys, hand of foran, 7 tackles and know this, it seems the NRL have had a hand in play every time nth old get knocked out.....
Fairy fairfax
Roar Rookie
If they fought it and were successful, he would have still missed a few games. Bugger it, Newcastle"s problem now.
Ian
Guest
Can't see why the Cows didn't challenge this. They had nothing at stake. Win, and he might play again this year. Lose, and it's Newcastle's problem next year.
E-Meter
Guest
More silly conspiracy theories
DSF
Guest
Cowboys complaining before they've even been knocked out!!! sounds like a cop out to me. Sure last 2years they copped harsh calls (particularly last years blunder) but the conspiracy theories they loosely throw around is cowardly. I'm a warriors fan, we get harsh calls all the time but you just have to make sure you don't put yourself in those positions to get wronged by (talking about 50/50, 60/40, 70/30,etc... situations) obviously the 7 tackles last year was a stuff up but still the pro-NSW conspiracy is bollocks. I'll be cheering the cows on all the way but I'll be disappointed if the play the blame game if they get knocked out, harden up boys.
Joel
Guest
Steveng, it is more a swipe at JWH getting off, All cows accept that Sims should be missing games, the severity not so sure. He should have pulled out. We have some great backup for him though in Ethan Lowe who has been carving it up in the QRL and was impressive playing for the cows earlier in the season. Though the Pride will miss Ethan Lowe come QRL grand final in 2 weeks if the Cows get through. Ethan Lowe will probably be start up replacement for Sims next year when Sims heads to Newcastle.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Sims's shoulder charge was a foul play and should be punished accordingly. The Cows and Paul Green just have sour grapes that Sims can't get off the charge and he can't go on blaming or having a go at the NRL match review and judiciary process. Sims's shoulder charge was the turning point of the game last Saturday and he went out deliberately to take Hodges out who was the Broncos main weapon and was setting up the Hodges corridor at 1300SmilesStadium and I recon that the Broncos would have gone close.