Photos of Stephen Crichton’s bloodied nose taken moments after full-time are expected to be tendered as evidence at the judiciary hearing into an alleged bite which threatens to end Kyle Flanagan’s season.
The NRL asked Canterbury officials to take photos of Crichton’s face in the dressing room when news of the confrontation was made known to the ground manager, part of the reason Crichton didn’t front the post-match press conference.
On Sunday, the match review committee referred Flanagan straight to the judiciary. With four games of the regular season remaining and the Dragons currently outside the top eight, the five-eighth faces a season-ending ban.
It’s expected Flanagan, who is due to play his 100th NRL match against the Titans this week, will contest the dangerous contact charge.
Crichton was asked to collate the photos after full-time to support the allegation, with the 23-year-old conducting an on-field post-game interview with broadcaster Fox League with blood on his nose.
The photos were taken and relayed to the NRL.
Dragons five-eighth Kyle Flanagan.Credit: Getty Images
Sources not authorised to speak publicly about the matter said Crichton was particularly agitated when he and Flanagan didn’t cross paths after the game as other players were shaking hands, then alerted officials to the second-half incident.
Television replays show Crichton smothering Flanagan in a tackle and pressing his nose and face against Flanagan’s, leading to his nose being in his rival’s open mouth. But as he tries to complete the tackle, Crichton’s nose appears to be caught between Flanagan’s mouth guard and bottom lip.
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan, Kyle’s father, insisted after the match there was no bite, but the match review committee looked at video evidence on Sunday morning before determining the 25-year-old would appear at the high-profile hearing.
Shane Flanagan had no idea about the incident straight after the game, but told this masthead late on Saturday: “Kyle said he didn’t do it. I believe him, 100 per cent. I’ve watched the footage, Kyle showed it to me, he [Crichton] is pushing his face into him while Kyle is on the ground.”
Former Raiders star Jack Wighton was the last player to face the judiciary over a biting allegation, eventually suspended for three matches for an incident involving Newcastle’s Tyson Gamble in an elimination final last year.
Ex-Titans forward Kevin Proctor was also banned for four matches after being found guilty at the judiciary of biting the Warriors’ Shaun Johnson in 2020.
The Dragons are desperately trying to snap a six-year finals drought and face a must-win clash against the Titans in Wollongong.
The Crichton-Flanagan incident overshadowed the Bulldogs’ stirring 28-10 win which kept them in the hunt for a top four spot in a match which also featured St George Illawarra prop Hame Sele being taken to hospital in an ambulance and Moses Suli limping from the field with a knee injury.
Dragons officials could not be contacted on Sunday.
Flanagan has been a steadying influence alongside Ben Hunt in the halves this year for the Dragons, who are fighting for a top-eight berth in the last four matches of the season. They haven’t made the finals since 2018.
Flanagan has played every match for the Dragons this season and was outstanding in their wins against the Panthers and Broncos, minus Hunt and other State of Origin stars.
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