PRE-GAME [Round 23, 2023] Broncos vs Cowboys

[Foordy]

7.55pm: The panel of chairman Justice Geoff Bellew, Paul Simpkins and Tony Puletua have been shown footage of the Holmes tackle on Titans fullback Jayden Campbell.

“The player failed to show the necessary duty of care, he did not lower his body height before making contact and the level of force is consistent with a Grade 2 charge,” Gyles said.

 

[BroncsFan]

7.55pm: The panel of chairman Justice Geoff Bellew, Paul Simpkins and Tony Puletua have been shown footage of the Holmes tackle on Titans fullback Jayden Campbell.

“The player failed to show the necessary duty of care, he did not lower his body height before making contact and the level of force is consistent with a Grade 2 charge,” Gyles said.

By gawd... the NRL have come with evidence

 

[Foordy]

8.00pm: O’Toole has asked to show footage of a Grade 2 Careless High Tackle charge against Eels winger Maika Sivo in Round 20 to compare with the charge against Holmes.

Gyles responded: “It is a very similar tackle, it is a winger coming in to shut down an opposition player. It is a similar level of force. It would be desirable for consistency if the tackle we are considering tonight was the adjudged the same as that tackle.”

 

[Foordy]

By gawd... the NRL have come with evidence

different prosecutor ... decided that "the vibe" wouldn't cut it as an argument this time

 

[Foordy]

8.10pm: O’Toole said there was no injury as a result of the contact by Holmes on Campbell and said there was less force than in the tackle by Sivo on Titans winger Jojo Fifita which was deemed a lower grade offence.

 

[Foordy]

8.15pm: O'Toole is giving his final submissions on behalf of Holmes.

“It is my submission that the contact between my client and Jayden Campbell should be low force, rather than moderate. My client did not intend to make contact with the head or neck of Jayden Campbell and would not have if Jayden Campbell didn’t lower his body height as he received the ball from Tanah Boyd and prepared to pass to Jojo Fifita.”

 

[BroncosFever]

I don't get the whole fight and fail and get more time thing, if its worth 4 week, give them 4 weeks..

Every club would fight every charge, given the incompetence of the people making decisions they are sure to get a few wrong. It's like a roulette wheel, could be their lucky day.

With the extra time though, it's a bit of a deterrence.

 

[BroncosFever]

8.15pm: O'Toole is giving his final submissions on behalf of Holmes.

“It is my submission that the contact between my client and Jayden Campbell should be low force, rather than moderate. My client did not intend to make contact with the head or neck of Jayden Campbell and would not have if Jayden Campbell didn’t lower his body height as he received the ball from Tanah Boyd and prepared to pass to Jojo Fifita.”

Not sure that's the best way to word it, he's basically suggesting Val had no duty of care and it was a result of Campbell's body position.

 

[LittleDavey]

8.15pm: O'Toole is giving his final submissions on behalf of Holmes.

“It is my submission that the contact between my client and Jayden Campbell should be low force, rather than moderate. My client did not intend to make contact with the head or neck of Jayden Campbell and would not have if Jayden Campbell didn’t lower his body height as he received the ball from Tanah Boyd and prepared to pass to Jojo Fifita.”

The NRL have made it crystal clear that intent does not matter a jot. That's not even an argument in defence, honestly, it should just be ignored. The rest of that statement is victim blaming. Pretty poor argument, there's surely no way he walks from that?

 

[BroncsFan]

8.15pm: O'Toole is giving his final submissions on behalf of Holmes.

“It is my submission that the contact between my client and Jayden Campbell should be low force, rather than moderate. My client did not intend to make contact with the head or neck of Jayden Campbell and would not have if Jayden Campbell didn’t lower his body height as he received the ball from Tanah Boyd and prepared to pass to Jojo Fifita.”

I'm pretty sure body position is not a valid argument here... I think that works if another defender tackles them and they've lowered their body position, but not when the player hasn't been touched.

Claim that it is low force is farcical given it is shoulder contact directly to the head... he also jams in off his wing and leaves his feet, so he was every chance to make contact with the head.

The lack of injury is more good luck than anything to do with Val's actions... he followed through with the tackle, off his feet and made contact with his shoulder to the head.

Grade 1's are more like bouncing off the ball and making contact with the head... not direct forceful contact to the head.

What are the key elements and indicators of each offense?

There are currently eight different type of offences that can be charged under the NRL Judiciary Code. Each offence has particular elements and indicators which are detailed as part of the NRL Judiciary Code and what actually constitutes an offence.

www.nrl.com

 

[BroncosFever]

Yeah I don't think his representation has done him many favours here.

 

[Morepudding]

Holmes unsuccessful. Misses 4 weeks.

 

[Super Freak]

 

[Waynesaurus]

Cowboys were either pretty dumb or just plain arrogant to think they were going to get him off with that excuse.

 

[BroncosFever]

Cowboys were either pretty dumb or just plain arrogant to think they were going to get him off with that excuse.

They'll be picking a new lawyer next time, I dare say.

 

[Kimlo]

7.45pm: O’Toole said Holmes does not wish to give evidence in his defense but will make submissions about the video. Justice Bellew warned that if those submissions verged on evidence then Holmes could be cross-examined by NRL
legal counsel Lachlan Gyles SC.

7.40pm: The hearing began with Holmes' legal representative Bill O’Toole seeking to have a memo from NRL head of football Graham Annesley entitled ‘Player safety update high tackles and shoulder charges’ removed from evidence.

"The memo is not addressed by my client and my client had not seen this memo until today," O'Toole said.

This is right up there with the worst defence efforts I've seen.

 

[McHunt]

This is right up there with the worst defence efforts I've seen.

The Match Review Committee does actually understand the rules and how to scrub videos back and forth over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. It beats me why you'd bother taking on the house. He was always going to lose.

MRC plenty: armchair experts **** all.

 

[JayPee]

One conspiracy down you blokes can't whinge about. Who is refereeing this week? Which ref is going to screw you over on Saturday? Sutton, Atkins. This will be good.