Rugby league icons have defended Titans captain Kevin Proctor after he was sent off for an apparent bite on Sharks star Shaun Johnson.
The players were involved in a heated on-field exchange in Saturday's NRL clash after Proctor reacted to a "choking" tackle from Johnson, in which the Cronulla player's arm was jammed against his mouth.
Proctor was sent off by referee Henry Perenara, an unfortunate blight on his 250th NRL game. He may face a heavy penalty from the NRL judiciary, to which he was directly referred on Sunday; meaning the judiciary panel has discretion to impose whatever penalty it sees fit.
While biting is rated among the most despicable on-field acts, Proctor's behaviour was not indefensible, according to NSW coach Brad Fittler and Kangaroos boss Mal Meninga.
"I always was of the understanding that there had to be an official complaint made, so when is the responsibility taken away [from the player]?" Eels legend Peter Sterling said on The Sunday Footy Show.
Fittler responded: "Right there - when you've got a picture that has got his [arm] in his mouth.
"The fact is, his [arm] is right in his mouth. The tackling technique, he's got hold of his shoulder. Poor old Kevin Proctor, he's got his forearm right down your throat just about; what are you supposed to do?
"His mouth was around his arm but I think he didn't have much other chance for it not to be. Shaun most probably didn't realise where his arm was and then Shaun felt something but I've got to say, I feel sympathetic towards Kevin Proctor. A bloke's forearm is sitting straight across his lips."
Johnson dramatically backed away from biting claims post-match and said that he would not give evidence against Proctor, a New Zealand Test teammate.
Meninga, the Titans' head of performance and culture, said that Proctor was gripped by self-preservation instincts in the heat of the moment.
"All of a sudden Kevin felt he was in danger of being choked, so loss of air, you know, the forearm's around his chin and up near his nose as well so he obviously felt that his life was in danger as well," Meninga told Fox League.
"So that's a fair argument to have to actually try to get Shaun's arm away from his face as well in that situation, so the words may help Kevin in his plight to get off the charge."
"It's not in his character, he's not that type of person to actually go out with intent and do things like that we'll see what happens. Obviously his life felt threatened, he was choking so he felt that he needed to do something to get Shaun's arm away to survive."
Similar infamous incidents include James Graham biting Billy Slater's ear in the 2012 grand final, for which he copped a 12-week ban, while Bulldogs forward Brad Morrin got eight weeks for a bite on Parramatta's Timana Tahu in 2007.
"It (Proctor's incident) doesn't compare to James Graham's incident ... it doesn't compare to James Graham at all," Fittler said.
Meninga said: "He won't get 12 weeks for that, in my opinion … but if he does go guilty, he'll miss the rest of the year."
Sharks captain Wade Graham downplayed the incident on Sunday, saying it was not worth creating further ugly headlines.
"{Johnson] was cool after it, he didn't really want to make a big deal of it," Graham told The Sunday Footy Show.
"They play for New Zealand together, they've played a lot of footy together, so he didn't want to make a big deal out of it. But once there's anything like the big blow-up on the field, you're forced down that path."
Graham said that the incident had sharpened Cronulla's focus as they went on to win 30-18.
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/kevin-proctor-bites-shaun-johnson-send-off-sharks-titans-reaction/56a1a81f-7969-47db-bfa8-a42054bff1d4
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