LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The NRL has decided to impose a charge on Canterbury Bulldogs centre Stephen Crichton after the Match Review Committee (MRC) missed a notable tackle he performed on Friday night.
In the incident against Ryan Papenhuyzen, Crichton appeared to intentionally make contact with the Melbourne fullback's face. This was followed by an apparent head slam. However, neither the referee on the field nor the MRC issued any sanctions at the time.
In a surprising move, Crichton was later charged with a Grade 1 contrary conduct offence. This decision marks a significant development as it is the first time the ARLC's newly introduced powers have been utilized. Crichton faces a potential fine of $1000 if he submits an early guilty plea or $1500 should he choose to contest the charge and lose at the judiciary.
The tackle has faced significant backlash, prompting the NRL, ARLC, and MRC to reassess their charge guidelines. Earlier in the year, it was announced that the ARLC would have the authority to add charges retrospectively if the MRC overlooked any during their morning assessments of games.
This change came after an incident involving Crichton's teammate Reed Mahoney, for which a charge was seemingly missed by the MRC.