2024 Match Review & Judiciary charges

[Captain Apollo]

Wouldn’t have mattered if he had OJ’s legal team the judiciary set up is akin to a courtroom in an authoritarian country where guilty verdicts are the expectation. For the record Nick Ghabar was the storm lawyer and this isn’t his first rodeo, he’s like one of the top go to judiciary defence counsel in the NRL and famously got simple Jack Wighton off a shoulder charge all the way back in 2016.
The issue is the NRL want the appearance of a fair and impartial trial when it’s just not the case.
Let’s face it, the judiciary is set up so 95% of cases just plead guilty because they know the chances of being acquitted are next to none

Yes, but don't forget, as it is effectively a "civil" proceeding, and not a "criminal" trial, the findings of the judiciary would be to a civil standard of proof (i.e. balance of probability" and not "beyond any reasonable doubt" which is the threshold of proof at a criminal trial. Also they were not looking to get him exonerated, but a 2 grade downgrading of the charge, which I think was beyond the pale in this case.

 

[lockyno1]

Wouldn’t have mattered if he had OJ’s legal team the judiciary set up is akin to a courtroom in an authoritarian country where guilty verdicts are the expectation. For the record Nick Ghabar was the storm lawyer and this isn’t his first rodeo, he’s like one of the top go to judiciary defence counsel in the NRL and famously got simple Jack Wighton off a shoulder charge all the way back in 2016.
The issue is the NRL want the appearance of a fair and impartial trial when it’s just not the case.
Let’s face it, the judiciary is set up so 95% of cases just plead guilty because they know the chances of being acquitted are next to none

People would feel for him if he didn't have a rap sheet that has a zillion fines and he gets away with instances every single season. Bloke is a thug, not buying the 'oh but he's a big guy', must have missed guys like Hass, AFB, and literally most big guys in the game not get charged every 3 weeks like this thug. Serves him right missing a GF for his past actions anyway.

This week is perfect, Roosters lose so JWH doesn't get one, and this thug gets banned.

 

[aqua_duck]

People would feel for him if he didn't have a rap sheet that has a zillion fines and he gets away with instances every single season. Bloke is a thug, not buying the 'oh but he's a big guy', must have missed guys like Hass, AFB, and literally most big guys in the game not get charged every 3 weeks like this thug. Serves him right missing a GF for his past actions anyway.

This week is perfect, Roosters lose so JWH doesn't get one, and this thug gets banned.

Not saying I don’t agree with your assessment of him as a player, he definitely skirts on the edge of the line quite often but my comment was more to do with the process the NRL has in place which is so unfairly skewed it would make any Saudi justice official proud

 

[aqua_duck]

Yes, but don't forget, as it is effectively a "civil" proceeding, and not a "criminal" trial, the findings of the judiciary would be to a civil standard of proof (i.e. balance of probability" and not "beyond any reasonable doubt" which is the threshold of proof at a criminal trial. Also they were not looking to get him exonerated, but a 2 grade downgrading of the charge, which I think was beyond the pale in this case.

Yes but any civil trial would not have a prosecutor and judge/jury on the same payroll and then a MRC setting charges but then ultimately sitting outside the judicial process.
The burden of proof for me isn’t the issue it’s that the storm weren’t allowed to use precedent because as the judiciary pointed out the MRC who is on the same page as the prosecutor stuffed up but is ultimately not accountable.
Anyone who read the transcript would realise the NRL didn’t need a highly priced SC acting as prosecutor (because he did a terrible job anyway) when a guilty verdict was pretty much pre determined