Reuben Cotter, co-captain of the Cowboys, will be available for Saturday's elimination final against the Sharks following a successful defense from Tom Hancock.
His legal representation was crucial after Cotter faced a potential two-game suspension due to a grade two careless high tackle charge stemming from an incident involving Josh Papalii.
The player found himself in the sin bin just 15 seconds into the game and was initially offered a one-match suspension for an early guilty plea.
However, the Cowboys opted to contest the charge, a decision that proved beneficial when Cotter was ultimately cleared. This outcome followed a significant ruling by judiciary members Henry Perenara and Bob Lindner.
Although initially deemed guilty after extensive review, Hancock successfully argued for a downgrade of the ruling with judiciary chairman Geoffrey Bellew's guidance.
The charge against Cotter was reduced to a grade one level, resulting in a $1500 fine, yet allowing him to participate in the finals.
Hancock's extensive experience in football played a vital role, given his background in the Queensland Cup prior to retiring in 2022.
While acknowledging that Cotter's shoulder contacted Papalii's head, Hancock contended the charge was unjustifiable from the start.
He explained that a collision with teammate Coen Hess disrupted Cotter's ability to execute a standard tackle, drawing from his own history of playing alongside Hess.
"It was entirely rational and what you'd expect when tackling a big dude on a kick-off," Hancock remarked, highlighting his successful advocacy for Cotter at the judiciary in recent weeks.