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'Absolute joke': NRL world rages over Sam Burgess 'disgrace'

Yahoo Sport Australia

NRL fans and commentators have been left gobsmacked after Sam Burgess got off with a fine for his hit that concussed Matt Moylan.

The South Sydney captain managed to escape an eighth suspension of his decorated but turbulent NRL career on a drama-charged night at the judiciary on Tuesday.

While Penrith playmaker James Maloney was rubbed out of Friday night's crucial clash with Cronulla after being unable to talk his way out of a low-grade tripping charge, Burgess sat stony-faced and silent as his sharp-minded legal eagle pulled off an unexpected judiciary coup.

Facing a two-match ban for a high shot on Moylan that has left the Sharks fullback sidelined for at least a week, Burgess had his charge reduced from a grade two to grade one.

Sam Burgess speaks to the media following his judiciary hearing at NRL headquarters. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Sam Burgess speaks to the media following his judiciary hearing. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Instead of missing matches against Melbourne and Canterbury, he was fined $1900 but will be free to tackle the Storm in a Sunday showstopper in Gosford, then the Bulldogs next week.

The NRL world exploded with disbelief that Burgess avoided suspension, with former player Mark Riddell labelling it a “bloody disgrace”.

"I'm not having a shot at Sammy, his legal team argued the point at got it across and convinced the panel that he could get off and pay a fine," Riddell said on Macquarie Sports Radio.

"But if that is a grade one careless charge, I'll give it away.

"Matt Moylan is not playing this week because of concussion from this exact event and Sam Burgess is going to play, I just find it ridiculous.

"I just look at that and think no way in the world that's a grade one careless tackle, it's grade two minimum for me.

"I have no idea how he got off."

Burgess: ‘I’m not a dirty player’

Burgess defended his playing style after the judiciary hearing.

"We thought we had a case prior to coming here. It's why we came and I'm thankful we got a fair hearing," Burgess said.

"We were asking for consistency and we got that tonight. Sometimes you just don't know, but I thought the evidence probably helped us.

"The initial finding we thought both grade one and two were a week anyway but we were then later informed it was just a financial penalty for a grade one, so it made more sense (to challenge the grading)."

Burgess was just four minutes into his comeback from an eight-week layoff following shoulder surgery when he caught Moylan high with a swinging arm that left the fullback, according to the NRL's legal counsel Peter McGrath, reeling "like a rag doll".

"He dropped the ball, his eyes closed. He lost all control," McGrath said.

Sam Burgess remonstrates with the referee after being put on report. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
Sam Burgess remonstrates with the referee. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

But Burgess's lawyer Nick Ghabar insisted the initial point of Burgess's contact on Moylan was "at worst, the base of his neck".

He also noted that Moylan passed a head injury assessment and told the judiciary panel "there was no evidence of any injury".

"In the case tonight, I'm actually just trying to make a tackle," Burgess said.

"It's not a loose play, I'm not swinging arms, I'm not intentionally trying to hit someone around the head.

"But these things happen in sport. I take responsibility. There was, I guess, a careless factor in terms of that's why we're here. There's a penalty.

"But I don't think I'm a dirty player. I don't intentionally go out to do that "

with AAP