Case Number:

ON/1531/22

Corey Norman #6, Toulouse

Competition:

Super League

Match:

Warrington Wolves v Toulouse Olympique XIII

Match Date:

2022-08-11

Incident:

Inappropriate contact

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Law 15.1 (i)

Other Contrary Behaviour

Grade F

Fine:

£500

Sanctions:

8+

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Not Guilty

Summary of CM's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 15 August 2022, you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(i) Other Contrary Behaviour during the above match.

The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred at 01:24:25 Opta time of the above match. The incident was placed on report. In the Panel’s opinion, you behaved in a manner contrary to the spirt of the game in that you interfered with an opponent who was on the ground following a tackle and you placed your hand/fingers between his buttocks. The Panel believe that your actions were unnecessary, against the spirit of the game and had the potential to injure your opponent.

In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade F offence in breach of Law 15.1(i) – Other Contrary Behaviour

The normal suspension range for such offence is 8 matches plus.

• Player charged under RFL Rule 15.1(i).
• Behaves in any way contrary to the true spirit of the game – Other Contrary Behaviour.
• Incident is placed On Report by the match referee.
• Mr Norman’s’ left arm moves unnaturally to the buttock area of his opponent on top of the shorts.
• The movement of the arm in this unnatural motion demonstrates intent whether sought to harm or not. The player should be aware of possible outcomes.
• Contact is made on the opponent inappropriately and unnecessarily.
• Footage demonstrates pressure is applied as the fingers are grasping at the area in a clenching motion.
• Pressure is seemingly applied for a significant period of time.
• Immediate physical reaction from Mr Holmes.
• Footage clearly shows Mr Norman’s hand placed in the area in which Mr Holmes reports in the footage.
• Report of inappropriate contact is immediate to the touch judge where Mr Holmes states “he’s just put his fingers up my arse sir”.

Summary of Player's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Player in attendance alongside Sylvain Houles (Head Coach). Player pleads Not Guilty.

CN gave his account to the panel and submissions were made on his behalf.

He said this was accidental contact. He was unbalanced and had no control of his left hand and needed to regain position. He needed to grab OH’s shorts in order to control the tackle. He said he is seen laughing at OH on the footage immediately afterwards because of what had happened between them during the match.

He said that part of his tackle technique would be to grab a player’s shorts to pull them to the ground. His instinct was to grab the shorts to bring the player down to where his head was and his touching of the player’s anus was therefore unintentional and accidental.

He demonstrated a grabbing and pulling motion to us. He said he had just felt the player’s shorts in his hand not his buttocks. He said that he certainly did not push his hand or finger inside the anus of OH. He stressed to us, as did his coach, that he has a clean record and has never been put on report before. He said that any contact was entirely accidental as he did not know where his hand was as he was looking at the ground.

Decision:

Guilty

Reasons for Decision:

We have carefully reviewed the footage, taken measured regard to the statement of OH as we acknowledge his evidence could not be challenged by CN as he was not present, considered the account given by CN and the submissions made by both the MRP and on behalf of CN.

The footage shows a reaction from OH’s teammate Danny Walker pointing at CN’s hand as the incident unfolds. There is a clear reaction from CN after the incident when he appears to laugh at OH. There is an immediate complaint to the referee by OH.

The footage of the incident shows a deliberate movement of Corey Norman’s left arm and hand over the top of Oliver Holmes and onto his buttocks. At no point does the footage show a grabbing of the shorts to push Oliver Holmes down as described by Corey Norman.

The footage shows a deliberate movement of CN’s left arm towards and then onto the backside of OH as he lay over OH in the tackle. We have considered CN’s explanation that he was attempting to grab OH’s shorts to pull him down and his demonstration of making a grabbing motion. We did not see a grabbing motion as he demonstrated to us on the footage. The footage then shows his hand with a finger pointing between the buttocks of OH in the area of OH’s anus.

We have to be reasonably satisfied the charge is made out. The standard of proof is greater than balance of probabilities but less than proof beyond reasonable doubt with due regard being given to the seriousness of the allegation. Obviously this is a very serious allegation indeed.

The footage shows a deliberate placing of Corey Norman’s hands and fingers on the buttocks and the hand is then between the buttocks and coupled with the immediate complaint from Holmes, the reaction of his teammate Danny Walker and the statement of Holmes to which we have measured regard we are entirely satisfied that this was an intentional placing of a hand between the buttocks of the opposing player, and we find the charge proved.

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Summary of CM's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

• Graded F due to:
- Unnecessary and not part of the game
- Attempt to gain an advantage over an opponent
- Intrusive nature of the contact – is deemed to be intentional with pressure applied
- No place in the game for such acts
- Akin to attacks to testicles which also carries a Grade F sanction
- Brings the game into disrepute

Summary of Player's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

• Player has a clean disciplinary record
• Player has played for 11 years in the NRL before coming to SL

Reasons for Decision:

We take into account that there are no previous matters recorded against CN.

His coach speaks highly of him. However, there is no room for this behaviour in Rugby League and this is rightly graded as a Grade F offence.

The sanction we therefore impose is an 8-match suspension and there will be a fine of £500.

Suspension:

8 matches