From smh.com.au
THREE videos and two words will hold the key to Warriors prop Ruben Wiki's defence of a kneeing charge tonight.
Warriors officials will contest Wiki's charge - which leaves him facing an eight-match suspension - on two fronts: that three similar incidents have been met with more lenient suspensions and that the charge of "dropping knees" does not accurately reflect the incident because the veteran front-rower "slid" into the tackle.
The Herald understands the vice-captain's legal team will head to NRL headquarters tonight armed with videotape of three similar incidents - two from this season and one from last year. All three led to lesser suspensions.
The Warriors yesterday pledged to "contest the total charge", which stemmed from an incident in the opening minute of Sunday's match against the Broncos in Auckland. Wiki's knees seemed to connect with Broncos forward Corey Parker's back.
The Warriors will also argue Wiki could not see Parker when he went into the tackle as he was obscured by teammates and the fact he slid into the tackle was caused by the slippery conditions.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah was reluctant to go into details but admitted the club would vehemently argue there was no intent.
"We're contesting the charge in total," he said. "We don't believe it was in any way intentional. We think we can present some pretty reasonable evidence for considering. We just think the level of the charge wasn't warranted."
Wiki will fly to Sydney today with football manager Don Mann and will be represented tonight by prominent prosecutor Geoff Bellew, a former Northern Eagles chairman more recently involved in the trial of Sydney architect and alleged terrorist Faheem Khalid Lodhi.
THREE videos and two words will hold the key to Warriors prop Ruben Wiki's defence of a kneeing charge tonight.
Warriors officials will contest Wiki's charge - which leaves him facing an eight-match suspension - on two fronts: that three similar incidents have been met with more lenient suspensions and that the charge of "dropping knees" does not accurately reflect the incident because the veteran front-rower "slid" into the tackle.
The Herald understands the vice-captain's legal team will head to NRL headquarters tonight armed with videotape of three similar incidents - two from this season and one from last year. All three led to lesser suspensions.
The Warriors yesterday pledged to "contest the total charge", which stemmed from an incident in the opening minute of Sunday's match against the Broncos in Auckland. Wiki's knees seemed to connect with Broncos forward Corey Parker's back.
The Warriors will also argue Wiki could not see Parker when he went into the tackle as he was obscured by teammates and the fact he slid into the tackle was caused by the slippery conditions.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah was reluctant to go into details but admitted the club would vehemently argue there was no intent.
"We're contesting the charge in total," he said. "We don't believe it was in any way intentional. We think we can present some pretty reasonable evidence for considering. We just think the level of the charge wasn't warranted."
Wiki will fly to Sydney today with football manager Don Mann and will be represented tonight by prominent prosecutor Geoff Bellew, a former Northern Eagles chairman more recently involved in the trial of Sydney architect and alleged terrorist Faheem Khalid Lodhi.
