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Why Angus Crichton only got a two-match ban for forearm in Rugby League World Cup Final

Angus Crichton was at the heart of a major moment in the Rugby League World Cup Final.

The Australia backrower was sin binned for hitting Chanel Harris-Tavita in the head during the second half.

Many felt he should have been red carded for the incident but in the end he only received a yellow.

Samoa boss Matt Parish was not happy with the decision to only show him a yellow. He said: “Our hooker gets elbowed in the head and carted off and the referee makes a weak decision and puts him in the bin.

“Elbow to the head and he gets taken off the field, what do you think?”

When Australia boss Meninga was informed of these comments about the incident, he said: “Seriously? My view was that he should have stayed on the field. We handled it really well. It was our best 10 minutes of the game, our defence, we just kept turning up for each other.”

Crichton himself has apologised:

“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 to NRL.com.

“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.

“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.”

“I think there was but first and foremost I was worried about him. He is a great player and we are actually meant to be travelling together so there is no bad blood between me and Chanel.

“He is great friends with Nathan Cleary, and we talked after the game. He knows it was honestly a genuine freak accident. It’s all love between me and Chanel, I spoke to him and apologised.”

He has also received further punishment with two-match ban which was confirmed yesterday.

In the minutes from the disciplinary panel, the thinking behind this was revealed.

It was only seen as “reckless” and described as “off the ball.”

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