Norman a victim say the Dragons
ST GEORGE Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin said Corey Norman was the “victim” and “hard done by” after the NRL imposed a suspension and $20,000 fine.
Griffin is adamant Norman, who has until Thursday to lodge an appeal, engaged in a street fight after being racially vilified at Cronulla during a night out on January 22.
The NRL deemed Norman brought the game into disrepute and imposed a two-match ban with one of those matches suspended for 12 months.
Griffin however launched a spirited defence of Norman, saying: “I wouldn’t defend any of my players if I thought they were in the wrong.”
The incident continues a string of off field dramas that has plagued Norman, a former Queensland Origin player.
“Corey hasn’t done himself any favours in the past and he would be the first to admit that but I think in this situation he’s been hard done by,” Griffin said.
“I’m not disrespecting the process that the NRL goes through to come up with these decisions but the police report that we’ve got identified him as the victim in the situation.
“I think we have to be careful as a game going forward in these situations. He had a mate that had four guys that wanted to flog him in the street.
“The evidence they put forward was they were racially vilified so if we’re going to ask our players just to stand back and cop verbal and physical abuse, and they can’t get involved ... I think we have to be very careful.
“I wouldn’t defend any of my players if I thought they were in the wrong but I think there wasn’t much else Corey could do in this situation.”
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo did “accept there was a degree of provocation”.
Broncos captain Alex Glenn defended Norman.
“Honestly? NRL please explain how this is acceptable to fine a player and suspend him for doing nothing but try and defend himself and his mate from a group of people who clearly targeted and outnumbered them?” Glenn wrote on social media.
“Let me guess, the boys who jumped @coreynnorman and @chicko9 get away scot-free?
“... It’s going to take one of us players to get put in the hospital because we can’t defend ourselves in fear of your punishment before you realise that this was wrong? You’re meant to be protecting us. This is absolutely ludicrous.”