ABC News
[ Source: ABC ]
Jacob Preston’s lawyer has implored the NRL to launch a crackdown on diving after the Canterbury forward’s State of Origin hopes were dashed at the league’s judiciary.
A dejected Preston was on Tuesday night found guilty of a crusher tackle on Gold Coast’s Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and handed a four-match ban in a blow to the ladder-leading Bulldogs.
Preston’s disappointment was doubled by the fact he could have received a fine if not for two previous offences this year.
Instead, he will be sidelined for a month.
The NSW hopeful will miss matches against Canberra, the Sydney Roosters, the Dolphins and Parramatta, and not play again before teams are picked for State of Origin II.
But in a stunning post-hearing statement, Preston’s lawyer Paul McGirr claimed diving was widespread in the game as players attempted to earn penalties from crusher tackles.
“I’m not suggesting this with Tino, but some players certainly appear to be lying down a bit in order to milk a penalty,” McGirr said.
“Particularly when players go down and behave like their heads [are] almost falling off, and then they’re running it up two or three times in the next [set of] six.”
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