Crichton to serve World Cup ban during pre-season

Kangaroos second-rower Angus Crichton is free to play for Sydney Roosters in the opening round against the Dolphins after being permitted to serve his World Cup suspension in the pre-season.

Crichton received a two-match ban for striking Toa Samoa hooker Chanel Harris-Tavita with his elbow in the World Cup final at Old Trafford but the suspension was halved on appeal.

He will avoid missing a premiership match by serving the one match ban in the opening round of the NRL Pre-season Challenge against the Storm in Geelong on February 12.

The 26-year-old could play the following weekend at Gosford against Manly and will be available for the historic NRL debut of the Dolphins, who are set to become the Telstra Premiership's 17th team next year.

Players suspended in the NRL are required to serve their bans in premiership fixtures, with Ryan Matterson (Eels), Francis Molo (Dragons), Mat Croker (Knights), Taane Milne (Rabbitohs) and Brian Kelly (Titans) set to miss the start of the season. 

However, Crichton's ban falls under the jurisdiction of the International Rugby League, which permits pre-season matches to be included.

A clause in the NRL judiciary code allows for the disciplinary policy of the body which handed down the suspension to be applied and Crichton has been cleared to serve his ban during the new pre-season competition. 

Crichton was sinbinned for striking Harris-Tevita with a raised forearm, and Samoa coach Matt Parish later said referee Ashley Klein should have sent the Australian forward off.

However, Crichton insisted he did not mean to strike Harris-Tevita and asked to front the media immediately after Australia's 30-10 win to publicly apologise to the Samoa utility and explain his actions.

“I want to talk to you guys because I want to get this message across, and I want to let his family know that I am genuinely sorry. I want to let the Samoa community know that I had no malice at all,” Crichton said.

“It was just me bracing for a tackle- and it was a freak tackle. As soon as it happened, I spoke to Chanel, and it was honestly just a reaction. I didn’t know that he was coming in and I had not malice at all."

Crichton and Harris-Tavita spent time travelling together in Europe after the World Cup, along with injured Samoa utility Tyrone May, Kangaroos halfback Nathan Cleary and forward Pat Carrigan.    

"Whenever I play football, I never try to injure or hurt anyone. I know that I am a good person and I play the game the way it is meant to be played.

“I never wish anyone to be injured on the football field like that, especially knockouts. A few of my great mates in Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner had their careers ruined so I never want to injure anyone on the field.

“That was not my intention at all so anyone I have upset or anyone in his family or anyone in the Samoa community I am genuinely sorry.”

Meanwhile, Matterson and Kelly will miss the opening three rounds of the Telstra Premiership, while Milne, Molo and Croker each have two matches to serve at the start of the 2023 competition and Milne has one.

Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (New Zealand) and Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo (Tonga) served their end-of-season suspensions during the World Cup.

Milne did not play at the World Cup because of the suspension but Fiji’s warm-up match against England, three pool game and quarter-final loss to the Kiwis were included as he was considered a certain selection for the Bati.