LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
The NRL's head honcho Graham Annesley has stepped up to the plate to address the brouhaha surrounding Harry Grant's judiciary call on Tuesday night, in what some are calling a "sticky wicket" of a situation.
Annesley has thrown his support behind the judiciary's bold decision to clear Grant of a dangerous contact charge, a move that has left many folks in the footy world scratching their heads.
Despite cries of "shameful" and "laughable" from critics, Annesley stands firm in his belief that the sin-binning of the Melbourne Storm skipper was justified.
The controversy surrounding Grant's case reached fever pitch this week as he and the Storm opted to challenge the grade-one charge that loomed over his head like a dark cloud.
After a nail-biting hour-long judiciary hearing, Grant was absolved of any wrongdoing in his clash with Daniel Atkinson, a decision that has ruffled some feathers.
The panel responsible for the call determined that while Grant's actions posed a risk of injury to Atkinson, the hooker had displayed enough finesse and caution in his movements to avoid a catastrophe.
Replays of the incident clearly showed Grant taking evasive action to minimize any potential harm, with Atkinson's leg grazing him in the heat of the moment.
Renowned rugby league personalities Braith Anasta and Phil Rothfield were quick to slam the decision to send Grant to the sin bin, joining a chorus of disgruntled fans who felt the penalty was unwarranted.
When Grant was ultimately exonerated on Tuesday night, supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief, lauding the ruling as a victory for good old-fashioned common sense in the world of footy.
But despite the hullabaloo surrounding this contentious call, the NRL continues to navigate these choppy waters with a steely resolve, proving that in the game of rugby league, nothing is ever cut and dry.