Phoenix Crossland to miss NRL grand final after pleading guilty over Nathan Cleary tackle

Newcastle Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland is set to miss the NRL grand final after pleading guilty to a dangerous contact charge for a tackle that left Penrith's Nathan Cleary with a compound fracture.

Crossland was sent off in the 36th minute of Newcastle's preliminary final win over Penrith on Sunday for the hip-drop tackle and was referred straight to the judiciary. A hearing was held at 6pm AEST on Tuesday to decide the punishment, with Crossland's plea all but guaranteeing he will miss Sunday's grand final, barring an 11th-hour miracle.

In a similar case, Dragons forward Ryan Couchman was suspended for four games after pleading guilty to a hip drop tackle in round three that ended the season of Parramatta's J'Maine Hopgood.

Judiciary Hearing

Judiciary chair Geoff Bellew said during a 90-minute hearing that the panel accepted the tackle did not incorporate any element of intention or recklessness, but took the view that Crossland's level of culpability was significant, a factor reflected in the serious injury sustained by Cleary.

"Whilst the panel accepted that this did not incorporate any element of intention or recklessness, it took the view that the player's level of culpability was significant, a factor reflected in the serious injury sustained by the ball carrier,"

Reactions

Cleary has since urged people to stop abusing Crossland online, after the Knights hooker apologised for the tackle. "It was a complete accident, and he doesn't deserve the unwarranted hate. He reached out to apologise, and I have nothing but respect for him," Cleary posted on social media after surgery on his broken left leg.

"He's a competitor, and our game is made up of split-second moments that sometimes lead to unfortunate circumstances."

"Comments like this are so unfair. Spread love, not hate."

Newcastle football director Chris James described the tackle as "a horrible accident at speed under fatigue".

"Phoenix Crossland has made more tackles in the NRL than any other player and he got one wrong,"

James added that Crossland "got one wrong and it was a horrible injury for Nathan, but that's not Phoenix's go. If you've ever met Phoenix Crossland, he's one of the great men of rugby league."

"Horrible for Nathan, the thoughts of our club go out to Nathan. He'll go down as one of the greats of the game and we hope he has a speedy recovery, but we'll also wrap our arms around Phoenix and make sure we look after him this week too."

Cleary was left on a medicab after the tackle and underwent surgery on his broken left leg.