Veteran Roosters hardnut Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has revealed he’s using his considerable judiciary experience to help Sam Verrills ahead of Tuesday night’s hearing.
While Verrills and the Roosters have entered an guilty plea following the young hooker’s high shot on Titans centre Brian Kelly, they are set to dispute the grading of the charge in an effort to have him freed for Friday night’s knockout semi-final clash with the Sea Eagles.
Verrills’ high hit on Kelly in Saturday’s elimination final win over the Titans resulted in the match review committee dealing him a one-game suspension.
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If the 22-year-old is successful at the judiciary in downgrading the charge he will be free to face the Sea Eagles and instead cop a $1150 fine.
However, if he fails at the hearing his suspension will be increased to two games, wiping him out of not only the Manly clash but his side’s potential preliminary final berth the following week.
Waerea-Hargreaves, an NRL veteran of 259 games and a frequent visitor of the judiciary, has shared simple advice with Verrills.
“I just said (to) be honest and be clear and go in there, be positive … knowing all well that he did everything he can in the heat of the game,” Waerea-Hargreaves told Sydney’s Nine News.
“It’s his first time going to (the) judiciary, so being a young and a clean skin he’s pretty nervous.”
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Waerea-Hargreaves explained why he believed Verrills’ punishment should be reduced from a suspension to a fine.
“I think he’s got a very good case,” Waerea-Hargreaves said.
“There was no intent there, obviously. It sort of happened and you can clearly see by the footage that there was no intent there.”
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