Wighton cops four-week ban in further blow to Souths’ hopes of avoiding wooden spoon

3 months ago 23

South Sydney’s hopes of avoiding the NRL wooden spoon suffered a further setback on Tuesday night when champion utility back Jack Wighton was suspended for four games for a shoulder charge.

Wighton won’t be available until the last-round clash with arch rivals Sydney Roosters after failing to prove his innocence at a judiciary hearing.

The former Kangaroos and NSW Origin star was charged with a grade-two shoulder charge after a 45th-minute head clash that left Cronulla forward Toby Rudolf with a category-one concussion on Saturday night.

The 32-year-old was initially facing a three-game suspension, had he pled guilty, but Souths gambled by opting to challenge it.

The judiciary panel of Bob Lindner, Greg McCallum and chairman Geoff Bellew reached a unanimous guilty verdict.

Souths then challenged the grading, arguing it was only a grade-one offence, which would have resulted in only a two-game suspension.

Jack Wighton is sent to the sin bin for a tackle that left Toby Rudolf concussed.

Again the judiciary rejected their submissions, saying there was a degree of carelessness consistent with a grade-two offence.

Wighton said afterwards: “I had a fair hearing. We thought we had a good case, but didn’t get the result we wanted.

“I turn my attention to preparing my teammates and really helping everybody in my club the best way I can.”

NRL counsel Patrick Knowles SC told the hearing it was “a textbook example of a shoulder charge”, arguing Wighton twisted his body, braced and clenched his right fist before impact as Rudolf charged towards him.

Knowles acknowledged the head-on-head collision was accidental but said the initial, forceful contact was with Wighton’s right shoulder.

Wighton’s lawyer, Nick Ghabar, countered by pointing to video that shows Wighton’s right arm did briefly wrap around Rudolf’s left arm.

He also said Rudolf’s left-foot step contributed to the incident and that if Wighton had not braced and lowered his body position, an “even more violent head-on-head situation” would have ensued.

“There is a significant issue in watching incidents in slow-motion,” he added, pointing out that in real time, Wighton had a split-second to brace for impact.

Wighton chose not to give evidence, and Bellew advised fellow panellists McCallum and Lindner that he was under no obligation to do so, and it should not be held against him.

Wighton was sin-binned for the incident, which left Rudolf concussed. The big prop will sit out Cronulla’s clash with North Queensland on Sunday.

Souths have already been decimated by injuries this season, with skipper Cameron Murray (Achilles), Latrell Mitchell (quadriceps), Cody Walker (hamstring), Keaon Koloamatangi (knee), Campbell Graham (back), Brandon Smith (knee), Davvy Moale (wrist), Mikaele Ravalawa (pectoral), Bayleigh Bentley-Hape (groin) and Jayden Sullivan (leg) currently sidelined.

Souths have slipped to last position on the NRL ladder after an eight-game losing streak, although they have one more win in the bank than 16th-placed Gold Coast Titans.

The Rabbitohs play the Titans on August 10 in what shapes as a potential loser-takes-all “spoon bowl”.

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