Cronulla Sharks star Dale Finucane has learnt his fate after his sickening hit on Penrith Panthers opponent Stephen Crichton.
Finucane flattened Crichton with 10 minutes to play on Saturday night as the Panthers went on to record a 20-10 victory in Penrith.
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The Sharks forward raced out of the line and put the monster hit on Crichton that left the Blues and Panthers centre left in a daze on the turf.
Panthers fans wanted blood after the shot left Crichton in a daze and left his left ear split in half, but after reviewing the incident the bunker decided Finucane had no case to answer.
On Sunday morning however the NRL match review committee saw it differently with Finucane handed a grade-three dangerous contact charge. The Sharks skipper is facing 2-3 weeks on the sidelines.
Crichton left the field to undergo a HIA and after the game Cleary confirmed Crichton would be heading to hospital to see a plastic surgeon.
WARNING: Graphic.
Crichton after the match spoke to ABC radio and in worrying signs confirmed he was still coming to.
“Only just probably getting my senses back now, can’t really remember what happened as well, so yeah, starting to get my memory back now,” Crichton said.
Asked if he remembered the game at all, he said: “Nah, nah.”
Former Sharks star Michael Ennis thought Finucane was in trouble before reconsidering his stance following the bunker review.
“Shoulder to the head,” Ennis said.
“He is just so tenacious Dale Finucane. He has got no respect for his body. He just launched at Crichton.
“I don’t think he knew where he wanted to hit him. He just wanted to hit him. He was trying to force an error.
“He is not a dirty player. There is no malice in that from Finucane, but it is contact with the head.”
Fans were quick to react to the incident.
Illawarra Mercury sports editor Tim Barrow wrote: “I don’t have a problem with it.”
NRL reporter Brad Walter responded: “It’s just a head clash but shows the danger of shooting out of the line. If Finucane’s shoulder was first point of contact he’d be looking at 6 weeks.”
Finucane told Fox League after the game he was just trying to inspire his troops.
“I think just at that point of time we needed points and a momentum change,” Finucane said.
“That was all just a last-ditch effort to change a bit of momentum. It wasn’t enough to change the result for us.”
– with Curtis Woodward, NCA Newswire
Originally published as Dale Finucane hit with grade three dangerous contact charge after hit on Stephen Crichton
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