The NRL last night defended its judicial process after Warriors fullback Wade McKinnon was found guilty of spitting at a match official - only to be handed a three-match suspension for an offence labelled "reprehensible" during the hearing.
The Warriors signalled their intention to appeal against the decision, even though the NRL's counsel had urged the panel to suspend the fullback for up to 11 matches after an incident during the clash with Penrith last Sunday.
The three-man panel of Royce Ayliffe, Darren Britt and Bob Lindner took almost 50 minutes to find McKinnon guilty of spitting at touch judge Brett Suttor, but decided to give him a suspension that could see him play again this year, even though he was suspended for two matches last year for shoving referee Jason Robinson.
"The judiciary panel is made up of three former high-profile players whose responsibility is to hear the evidence and make a decision based on that evidence," NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley said after the hearing.
"In making their decision, they take into consideration all the relevant facts placed before them and any directions from the chairman, and their decision is final, subject to the appeal provisions of the NRL rules. We have absolute confidence in the integrity and the ability of the panellists charged with that responsibility."
The Warriors issued a statement after the hearing, with CEO Wayne Scurrah saying the club was "devastated and disappointed that Wade has been found guilty" and declared McKinnon had been treated unfairly.
But the suspension was curious. NRL counsel Peter Kite urged the panel to consider a penalty of between nine and 11 matches, describing the offence as "particularly reprehensible, made worse by the fact that it's directed at a match official". He also said McKinnon had been cautioned for dissent by referee Ben Cummins five minutes before the altercation with Suttor.
McKinnon unsuccessfully argued that he had been suffering from a sinus infection and also spat regularly because he wore upper and lower mouthguards after suffering a fractured palate in 2006, also against Penrith.
When it was put to McKinnon, by Kite, that he had spat in Suttor's direction, the fullback replied: "If I'm running, I spit, if I'm standing there, I spit. I don't have a traditional way of spitting."
He also maintained he did not say anything to Suttor. "When the try was scored, I yelled out 'the touchie stopped, the touchie stopped'," he said. "I was just listening to Micheal Luck, who was blowing up at the ref ... I cleared my throat and walked back to the huddle."
Asked by his counsel, Geoff Bellew, if he was conscious of the fact Suttor was nearby when he spat, McKinnon said: "No, I was just spitting on the ground."
Suttor said the spit landed about 30 centimetres from him and just missed his right knee, but Bellew said that was "almost an impossibility" because the two were at least five metres apart.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4680073a1823.html
wade is a deadset wanker..
