Slater wait goes on

NRL community divided by fullback’s charge

BILLY Slater will have to wait until tomorrow night to know if he can face the Sydney Roosters in his farewell NRL grand final after his judiciary hearing was unable to be brought forward.

Melbourne had requested the NRL bring Slater’s hearing forward to tonight, one day earlier than usual in a bid to help preparations for the week.

The Storm spent yesterday strengthening its case to allow Slater a shot at a fairytale end to his 16-year NRL career, after having already hired gun defence counsel Nick Ghabar to represent him.

Ghabar was the man who helped free Justin Hodges to play in the 2015 grand final, and is known for his work in helping players avoid shoulder charge bans — having successfully defended Sam Burgess and Jack Wighton in the past two years.

Slater’s case over his gradeone charge for his hit on Cronulla’s Sosaia Feki to save a try and force him into touch on Friday night has divided the NRL.

NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler yesterday declared the judiciary had no choice but to find him guilty, or risk setting a dangerous precedent and allow the play to return to the game.

But NRL competition committee member Darren Lockyer and former judiciary panel chairman Paul Conlon have come out in the champion Melbourne fullback’s defence.

Slater’s Melbourne teammates also remain hopeful they will have the chance to try to send the 35-year-old out with a NRL grand final victory.

Storm winger Josh AddoCarr said it would be a “massive blow” to lose Slater for the title decider and defended his teammate’s actions.

“What’s he meant to do? He’s just gone in for a tackle,” Addo-Carr said.

“I don’t reckon it’s a shoulder charge or anything, he just went in for the tackle and did his best to stop the try.”

Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster said Slater should not be given special treatment because of his status as one of the game’s greats, but did not believe the hit deserved anything more than a penalty.

“There was no malice — it’s just Bill being a competitor and wanting to do the best for his team and stop the try and that was a tackle he needed to make,” Munster said.

“It would be really disappointing if he doesn’t get to play in his last game but there’s rules with that kind of stuff and no one is bigger than the game.

“I would love to see Bill go out a winner because he’s a champion bloke and a champion player.”