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By Dean Ritchie
July 29, 2004
WESTS Tigers forward Mark O'Neill is yet to recover 12 days after the Danny Williams king hit and is today expected to be ruled out of playing for the second successive week.
O'Neill ... guilty of a grade one careless high tackle.
Revelations of O'Neill's condition came after he was found guilty at the NRL judiciary of a high tackle on Williams just moments before the now infamous king hit.
Even though O'Neill did not receive a suspension, the judiciary's decision is certain to have an impact on the Williams case, to be heard next Wednesday.
Williams' defence team is arguing the tackle from O'Neill left him with post-traumatic amnesia and so provided mitigating circumstances for one of the worst acts seen on the field in decades.
The fact O'Neill has now been found guilty could well strengthen the Williams argument.
But the impact of Williams' moment of madness continues to be felt as The Daily Telegraph understands O'Neill will withdraw from his side's match with Parramatta on Saturday night.
Medical opinion suggests he may still have memory loss, headaches and possible lack of balance.
"I haven't done any contact work yet. I'll have to see the medical staff [today]," O'Neill said last night.
"I'll continue to take small steps and see how I go from there."
Asked how he thought his guilty verdict would affect Williams' case, O'Neill said: "I was just here to defend my high tackle case. I have nothing to say on that."
Storm chief executive Frank Stanton did not wish to discuss the O'Neill or Williams cases.
"I can't comment because of the nature of the [Williams] hearing. I'm sorry," Stanton said.
O'Neill, who pleaded not guilty last night to a careless high tackle, said at the hearing: "Danny was running towards me and had players outside and inside. He had runners.
"My aim was to make an above-the-ball tackle. I had no intention of going near the head.
"Danny's head dropped quite dramatically. I felt the contact was minimal and unavoidable."
Wests Tigers football manager Steve Lavers, who represented O'Neill, said Williams did not require any medical attention after the tackle."I am disappointed -- I thought we went in with a fairly strong case," O'Neill said.
"It wasn't to be."
Asked about the Williams case, O'Neill said: "Look I just came here to defend my high tackle case.
"I've got nothing to say about that."
The judiciary panel of Royce Ayliffe, Jeff Hardy and Mark Coyne took less than 10 minutes to reach last night's verdict.
Williams' hearing was postponed last week after he used a defence of post-traumatic amnesia, claiming he could not remember punching O'Neill.
The Daily Telegraph
July 29, 2004
WESTS Tigers forward Mark O'Neill is yet to recover 12 days after the Danny Williams king hit and is today expected to be ruled out of playing for the second successive week.
O'Neill ... guilty of a grade one careless high tackle.
Revelations of O'Neill's condition came after he was found guilty at the NRL judiciary of a high tackle on Williams just moments before the now infamous king hit.
Even though O'Neill did not receive a suspension, the judiciary's decision is certain to have an impact on the Williams case, to be heard next Wednesday.
Williams' defence team is arguing the tackle from O'Neill left him with post-traumatic amnesia and so provided mitigating circumstances for one of the worst acts seen on the field in decades.
The fact O'Neill has now been found guilty could well strengthen the Williams argument.
But the impact of Williams' moment of madness continues to be felt as The Daily Telegraph understands O'Neill will withdraw from his side's match with Parramatta on Saturday night.
Medical opinion suggests he may still have memory loss, headaches and possible lack of balance.
"I haven't done any contact work yet. I'll have to see the medical staff [today]," O'Neill said last night.
"I'll continue to take small steps and see how I go from there."
Asked how he thought his guilty verdict would affect Williams' case, O'Neill said: "I was just here to defend my high tackle case. I have nothing to say on that."
Storm chief executive Frank Stanton did not wish to discuss the O'Neill or Williams cases.
"I can't comment because of the nature of the [Williams] hearing. I'm sorry," Stanton said.
O'Neill, who pleaded not guilty last night to a careless high tackle, said at the hearing: "Danny was running towards me and had players outside and inside. He had runners.
"My aim was to make an above-the-ball tackle. I had no intention of going near the head.
"Danny's head dropped quite dramatically. I felt the contact was minimal and unavoidable."
Wests Tigers football manager Steve Lavers, who represented O'Neill, said Williams did not require any medical attention after the tackle."I am disappointed -- I thought we went in with a fairly strong case," O'Neill said.
"It wasn't to be."
Asked about the Williams case, O'Neill said: "Look I just came here to defend my high tackle case.
"I've got nothing to say about that."
The judiciary panel of Royce Ayliffe, Jeff Hardy and Mark Coyne took less than 10 minutes to reach last night's verdict.
Williams' hearing was postponed last week after he used a defence of post-traumatic amnesia, claiming he could not remember punching O'Neill.
The Daily Telegraph
