Pride vow to do ‘everything in power’ to clear Griffin
NORTHERN Pride prop Rod Griffin faces a nervous wait ahead of a possible Atherton homecoming after he was reported for a chicken wing tackle in the Pride’s 30-26 loss to the Townsville Blackhawks.
The Pride will take this Saturday’s Round 14 Intrust Super Cup clash against the PNG Hunters to Atherton as part of QRL’s Country Week.
Coach Ty Williams has named an unchanged line-up to the one that went down to the Blackhawks, but he faces an anxious wait to learn whether Griffin and front-row partner Nick Lui-Toso will be available.
“The only real concerns we’ve got is a couple of boys that got put on report through the match review committee,” he said.
“Rod Griffin’s up for a chicken wing, and then obviously when Nick Lui-Toso got sent for 10 minutes as well (for a late hit on Blackhawks’ Aaron Moore).
“We’ll make sure that we go through the video and check any comparisons and then we’ll decide whether they’re worth fighting or we take the plea.
“Potentially both lads could be missing this weekend, but we’ll see how it unfolds.
“I’m pretty confident with both of them, just in regards to the evidence we have as a club.
“The one I’m more nervous about is Roddy, just due to the fact he’s had a similar charge and carries loading as well.
“We’ll have a look at a few similar instances and put our plea in (on Wednesday morning) and then obviously if we need to go to the judiciary, we’ll put forward our case.”
Any suspension would be a bitter blow for Griffin, an Atherton junior and former Papua New Guinea international representative.
Williams said getting Griffin cleared would be a priority.
“I’ve received about eight phone calls already about it, so we’re finding a way to see how we can fight it,” he said.
“Obviously, (Atherton) is the old stamping ground for Roddy up there, but also playing against fellow countrymen as well.
“It’s a game he definitely doesn’t want to miss and we’ll do everything in our power to see how we can get by with it.”