Tariq Sims will make an all-or-nothing bid to be freed for the State of Origin decider, opting to challenge a dangerous contact charge rather than plead guilty and seek a downgrade which could have potentially saved his NSW spot.
Sims will meet with the same legal counsel who will fight for George Burgess' season just hours after posing in the Blues team photo as his impending judiciary hearing overshadows the start of NSW's preparation.
The Dragons forward confirmed on Monday he will plead not guilty to a grade two charge of dangerous contact on the head or neck of Michael Morgan, which carries a three-game ban if he's unsuccessful.
He could have entered an early guilty plea and sought to have the charge reduced to a grade one offence, a sanction which carries only 75 points and no threat of suspension. The NRL match review committee took into account Morgan's injury when assessing the grading.
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Melbourne enforcer Jesse Bromwich won't have to serve a match on the sidelines for a grade one dangerous contact charge stemming from the table-topping Storm's win over the Roosters in Adelaide.
But so convinced of his innocent are Sims and the Dragons they will fight the charge which was levelled at the 29-year-old for a hit on Cowboys playmaker and Queensland rival Morgan, which left him concussed. Rival coaches Paul McGregor and Paul Green traded verbal barbs after the game over the collision.
St George Illawarra have hired barrister James McLeod, the same man who will argue Burgess' case earlier on Tuesday night as he faces an eye gouging charge which could end his South Sydney career.
Sims will finalise his defence with McLeod on Tuesday afternoon.
David Klemmer's Origin fate will hinge on the result of Sims' judiciary hearing after NSW coach Brad Fittler confirmed he would keep faith with the Dragons firebrand after the game two rout of the Maroons in Perth.
But it won't be an easy task for Sims, who has no precedent to fall back on given the NRL adopted a new and more stringent policy for crusher tackles and late hits.
All or nothing: Tariq Sims.Credit:AAP
The decision was made on the recommendation of the NRL competition committee, of which Cowboys boss Green is a member.
The Dragons remain privately furious a charge was levelled at Sims at all given no action was taken on the field or by NRL bunker officials and they lost playmaker Corey Norman with a fractured cheekbone earlier this season.
Norman, who was on Monday named to make his Origin debut for the Maroons in what coach Kevin Walters billed "the biggest game in Origin history", was out for three weeks after a nasty head clash with Eels winger Maika Sivo. Sivo escaped sanction.
Fittler's faith in Sims and decision to leave Klemmer out of his initial 17 has left many baffled after the Newcastle prop was NSW's most influential forward during a stint of more than 50 minutes in game one. He was unaware he broke his wrist during the game and it was only confirmed two days later.
He opted against surgery to fix the problem which caused him to miss game two and Fittler has stuRead More – Source
Tariq Sims will make an all-or-nothing bid to be freed for the State of Origin decider, opting to challenge a dangerous contact charge rather than plead guilty and seek a downgrade which could have potentially saved his NSW spot.
Sims will meet with the same legal counsel who will fight for George Burgess' season just hours after posing in the Blues team photo as his impending judiciary hearing overshadows the start of NSW's preparation.
The Dragons forward confirmed on Monday he will plead not guilty to a grade two charge of dangerous contact on the head or neck of Michael Morgan, which carries a three-game ban if he's unsuccessful.
He could have entered an early guilty plea and sought to have the charge reduced to a grade one offence, a sanction which carries only 75 points and no threat of suspension. The NRL match review committee took into account Morgan's injury when assessing the grading.
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Melbourne enforcer Jesse Bromwich won't have to serve a match on the sidelines for a grade one dangerous contact charge stemming from the table-topping Storm's win over the Roosters in Adelaide.
But so convinced of his innocent are Sims and the Dragons they will fight the charge which was levelled at the 29-year-old for a hit on Cowboys playmaker and Queensland rival Morgan, which left him concussed. Rival coaches Paul McGregor and Paul Green traded verbal barbs after the game over the collision.
St George Illawarra have hired barrister James McLeod, the same man who will argue Burgess' case earlier on Tuesday night as he faces an eye gouging charge which could end his South Sydney career.
Sims will finalise his defence with McLeod on Tuesday afternoon.
David Klemmer's Origin fate will hinge on the result of Sims' judiciary hearing after NSW coach Brad Fittler confirmed he would keep faith with the Dragons firebrand after the game two rout of the Maroons in Perth.
But it won't be an easy task for Sims, who has no precedent to fall back on given the NRL adopted a new and more stringent policy for crusher tackles and late hits.
All or nothing: Tariq Sims.Credit:AAP
The decision was made on the recommendation of the NRL competition committee, of which Cowboys boss Green is a member.
The Dragons remain privately furious a charge was levelled at Sims at all given no action was taken on the field or by NRL bunker officials and they lost playmaker Corey Norman with a fractured cheekbone earlier this season.
Norman, who was on Monday named to make his Origin debut for the Maroons in what coach Kevin Walters billed "the biggest game in Origin history", was out for three weeks after a nasty head clash with Eels winger Maika Sivo. Sivo escaped sanction.
Fittler's faith in Sims and decision to leave Klemmer out of his initial 17 has left many baffled after the Newcastle prop was NSW's most influential forward during a stint of more than 50 minutes in game one. He was unaware he broke his wrist during the game and it was only confirmed two days later.
He opted against surgery to fix the problem which caused him to miss game two and Fittler has stuRead More – Source
