'Shattered' Kyle Flanagan hit with four-match ban after being found guilty by NRL judiciary for biting
Updated . First published
Dragons half Kyle Flanagan has been found guilty by the NRL judiciary after Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton accused his rival of biting him during Canterbury's win.
The panel's decision was unanimous after the hearing lasted two hours. Flanagan has been suspended for four games.
The incident came in the 63rd minute when Crichton tackled Flanagan 10 metres out from the line, with the match review committee referring the incident to the judiciary.
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Crichton pressed his head into Flanagan before the half pushed him away. Replays after the match showed Crichton's nose in Flanagan's mouth.
Immediately after the tackle, Crichton put his hand to his nose and checked for blood. He repeatedly did the same action during the set.
Stephen Crichton and Kyle Flanagan during the incident (left) and Crichton checks for blood (right). Nine/Fox League
Three minutes later, when the Bulldogs forced a line dropout, Crichton had to be separated from Dragons players in a heated exchange.
During his hearing, Flanagan said this exchange involved both players telling each other to "f--- off".
Post-match, reports emerged Crichton had made an official complaint.
Speaking at the judiciary, Flanagan described himself as "shattered, upset and disappointed" when he found out he'd been charged.
Kyle Flanagan arrives at the judiciary. Wolter Peeters
Throughout the hearing, Flanagan continually claimed he did not bite Crichton but accepted Crichton's nose was in his mouth.
"I partially closed my jaw. I did not bite Stephen Crichton," he said.
NRL counsel Lachlan Gyles pushed for a four-to-six match ban while Flanagan's representative James McLeod said it should be two weeks.
The two-man panel of Greg McCallum and Henry Perenara voted on four.
In his post-match press conference, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo confirmed he'd spoken to Crichton about the allegation.
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"Yeah just quickly, his nose is a bit swollen there, but not in great detail no," he said.
Despite being captain, Crichton wasn't present in the press conference.
"He's getting a few things checked ... I don't know what to say about it, we'll leave it there," Ciraldo added.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Dragons coach and Kyle's father Shane denied the bite occurred.
"Kyle said he didn't do it. I believe him, 100 per cent," he said.
"I've watched the footage, Kyle showed it to me, he (Crichton) is pushing his face into him while Kyle is on the ground."
