The lawyer charged with defending Gold Coast captain Kevin Proctor at tonight's NRL judiciary says Cronulla's Shaun Johnson will be required to give evidence in relation to the Titans forward's biting charge.
Proctor was sent-off in the Sharks' 30-18 win on Saturday, and referred straight to the judiciary by the match review committee. It's the first time a player has ever been sent from the field for biting.
Since the incident occurred a host of former players have come out in defence of Proctor, suggesting there is no clear evidence of a bite.
Tim Fuller from Gaden's Lawyers will represent Proctor at tonight's hearing. He says the process that resulted in the Titans skipper being sent off was flawed, adding there was no clear evidence to support the charge.
Despite some suggestions that Johnson would not give evidence at the hearing, Fuller is expecting Proctor's New Zealand teammate to appear.
"There's been reports around Shaun Johnson being available tonight as part of the hearing," Fuller told RadioTAB this morning.
"Shaun will be required to appear tonight and to be cross-examined by our side, and also asked to give his own testimony to the judiciary as to what he believes happened."
Proctor was sent from Jubilee Stadium on Saturday afternoon by referee Henry Perenara, following intervention from video referee Steve Chiddy.
"What's interesting in looking at the actual event, the reaction off the two players involved, is the fact that when it came to the officials on the field, ultimately they didn't make a determination that a biting event had occurred," Fuller said.
"There was reliance on the video referee, ultimately the video referee has sent down their position that there was a bite.
"We reject that completely.
"We then believe that the decision-making process has been flawed. There is no clear evidence that Shaun Johnson was bitten."
Both Paul Gallen and Phil Gould came to the defence of Proctor, with the pair believing he did not bite Johnson. Gould said he should never have been sent off, believing the ex-players on the judiciary panel will clear him.
According to Fuller, the evidence doesn't support the charge.
"What has the video referee seen that nobody else has seen?" he asked.
"The evidence that we've looked at, footage, stills, alleged injuries and so forth, we say that there's nothing there to substantiate that charge.
"That will be the basis of our submission tonight."
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/kevin-proctor-bite-shaun-johnson-to-give-evidence-at-nrl-judiciary/7674b2c1-e38e-47a3-99de-2a6cf21e735c
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