FORMER TEAMMATE COULD HOLD SLATER’S FATE

NRL Judiciary, 6 o’clock tonight at League Central Incident: Shoulder charge Grade: One Penalty: Two matches Plea: Not guilty WHAT HAPPENED Billy Slater bumps Cronulla winger Sosaia Feki into touch next to the corner post in the 14th minute. A penalty is awarded to the Sharks after head referee Gerard Sutton deemed the collision a shoulder charge. THE RULING NRL match review committee offered Slater two-match ban (down to one on early plea) for a grade-one shoulder charge. THE OPTIONS Slater has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which means he’ll front the judiciary tonight. The panel consists of three respected former players, whose identity will be revealed tonight. Judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew will preside over the hearing. Legal counsels will present evidence to establish whether the player is guilty or not guilty. THE ARGUMENT FOR Slater elected to bump instead of trying to tackle Feki because he expected the winger, squeezed for room on the sideline, to step inside. The match review committee must be satisfied the contact was forceful, and the player did not use, or attempt to use, his arms (including the hands) to tackle or otherwise take hold of the opposing player. THE ARGUMENT AGAINST The front-on footage will decide the case with Storm set to argue the collision was unavoidable given the speed at which both players were travelling and that Slater’s right hand is extended in front of Feki, which constitutes an attempt to tackle. THE DECISION If found not guilty, Slater will play his final game in the NRL grand final. If he loses, Slater has the right to appeal the judiciary’s decision, on a point of law, before the NRL Appeals Tribunal. It has never been done before.