Carrigan cops four game ban
LEAGUE: Broncos forward Patrick Carrigan has been suspended for four matches after he was found guilty of making dangerous contact in an ugly hip-drop tackle that fractured Jackson Hastings’ right fibula and did damage to his syndesmosis during Saturday night’s game at Suncorp Stadium.
Carrigan was referred straight to the judiciary for the tackle that has seen Hastings wiped out for the rest of the season.
Hastings (pictured) writhed in agony after he was held up by Broncos pair Cory Paix and Keenan Palasia, before Carrigan leant his weight to the tackle around the hips and landed on his opponent’s right foot.
On a dramatic night at the judiciary, the NRL’s lawyer had asked for a ban of five to six matches to make an example of Carrigan while defence counsel Nick Ghabar had pushed for two weeks.
The panel of Dallas Johnson and Henry Perenara reached a unanimous decision that Carrigan’s actions had put Hastings in a vulnerable decision and that the penalty would act as a deterrent to other players.
“I’m very grateful to Nick and the NRL for a fair hearing,” Carrigan said.
“I’m a little bit disappointed with the result.
“I certainly didn’t have any intent or malice in what happened, but I’m also aware that Jackson is going to miss a bit of footy. I wish him all the best with his recovery.
“My focus is to be as supportive as I can for the Broncos for the next four weeks.”
The Wally Lewis Medal winner from State of Origin made the trip to Sydney but didn’t give evidence at the hearing.
Instead, five angles of Carrigan’s tackle and a similar tackle by Dragons forward Josh McGuire against the Storm in Round 10 last year were used primarily during the case.
McGuire was hit with a grade three charge under the game’s old judiciary code and was banned for five matches, although he did have carryover points which added to his penalty.