How Newton got hit the hardest
By Brad Walter
August 27, 2004
Newcastle forward Clint Newton is considering an appeal against his 12-match ban in the belief that the penalty is more severe than the suspensions handed to Danny Williams and John Hopoate.
While Melbourne's Williams received an 18-game ban for his king hit on Wests Tigers second-rower Mark O'Neill, his base suspension was 14 matches. In a complicated loading process it was increased to 24 matches for his poor record and then reduced by 25 per cent because of his guilty plea.
Newton's base penalty was 16 matches before the 25 per cent discount for an early guilty plea.
Unlike Williams, he had no prior record but still received the second-longest suspension in NRL history - equalling those imposed on Josh Stuart (North Sydney) and Hopoate (then Wests Tigers).
Hopoate, whose infamous finger-poking antics cost him a 12-game ban three years ago, disputed the allegations against him and did not receive any reduction in his penalty, while he also had past convictions.
If Newton had the same record as Williams, his suspension would have equated to 2720 demerit points, with each 100 demerit points worth a one-match ban.
After the 25 per cent discount, the 23-year-old Knights second-rower would have been outed for 20 games - two more than Williams.
"I can't work it out," said Newton's famous father, Jack, who gave evidence on his son's behalf on Wednesday night. "Obviously they [the judiciary] decided it was the worst tackle in the history of modern rugby league.
"It is not 12 weeks, it is 16 weeks they have given him. All the stuff about his good behaviour and early pleas, saying he's sorry and all the rest of it, does not seem to have had an impact on the three panel members. If Clint had a previous record he would have got a Les Boyd."
(Boyd was suspended for 12 months for breaking the jaw of Darryl Brohman in 1983.)
Even NRL prosecutor Peter Kite was understood to be surprised by the severity of the suspension after asking for a penalty of 1250 demerit points before the discount. That would have resulted in a nine-match suspension.
Kite told panel members Mal Cochrane, Mark Coyne and Darrell Williams the incident that resulted in Newton being sent from the field for elbowing St George Illawarra prop Ashton Sims in the seventh minute of last Friday night's match at EnergyAustralia Stadium was not deliberate, but highly reckless.
Comparing the incident with the ones involving Williams and Cronulla five-eighth Greg Bird, who kneed South Sydney's Shane Marteene earlier this season, Kite said that Newton's lay in-between.
Bird, who received a 10-match suspension, also attracted a 20 per cent loading for a previous high tackle charge.
"It sort of makes him out to be a thug and he is not," Newton snr said. "At worst it was unintentional, reckless. It was pretty obvious that their legal people agreed it was not intentional. I'm not quite sure what was going on with the panel. It is very disappointing."
Williams and Bird also received heavier suspensions than Kite had sought - indicating that the judiciary members have taken it upon themselves to get tough.
Newton's penalty would also suggest that they did not accept his defence that the incident was a shoulder charge that went wrong.
The injury to Sims, who was forced from the field to receive six stitches for mouth lacerations and treatment for three loose teeth, was taken into account by Kite in deciding Newton's offence was worse than Bird's.
"Given the prosecutor suggested nine weeks, they've obviously gone against his advice a bit," said Newcastle coach Michael Hagan. "We don't want to say too much other than we're disappointed and we will assess what grounds we have for an appeal in due course. I think it's fair to assume that Clint expected to be suspended but I don't know if he was thinking 12 weeks, and we as a club are disappointed for him because we would not have expected 12 weeks either."
NRL chief executive David Gallop last night defended the right of the panel to determine the length of suspensions.
"I am very comfortable with the process," Gallop said. "There's no requirement on the counsel to make a recommendation. It's there more as a guide. "The panel are experienced ex-footballers who are also experienced in the previous decisions of the judiciary and they're charged with the task of arriving at a penalty they believe is appropriate for the offence."
Dragons coach Nathan Brown also supported the decision.
"I think the judiciary has done a good job," he said. "I think it was a bad incident, whether it be mistimed or misjudged. All I hope now that he has got his penalty is that people let him do his time in peace and we get to see him come back next year and play some good footy."
Newton did not travel to Sydney yesterday with the Knights but will be at tonight's match against the Bulldogs.
If he is denied an appeal or an appeal fails, Newton will be out until round nine next year, unless Newcastle make the finals, as the ban includes two NRL sanctioned pre-season trials.
