Cowboys to fight Bolton biting charge - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Cowboys to fight Bolton biting charge

By Ian McCullough 16/08/2010 06:55:23 PM Comments (0)

North Queensland officials are considering travelling to Sydney to front the NRL judiciary to fight a biting charge against Cowboys backrower Scott Bolton on Monday.

Bolton has been accused of biting Gold Coast Titans centre Clinton Toopi during the Cowboys' 37-18 defeat on Saturday.

After initially indicating he had been bitten on the finger, former New Zealand back Toopi declined to make an official complaint to the referee.

But that did not stop the NRL match review committee from charging Bolton, who has been one the Cowboys' few shining lights this season.

Committee chairman Greg McCullum confirmed the decision to review the case was taken after studying video footage of the incident.

The Cowboys and the Warriors are the only two clubs in the NRL not required to front the judiciary in person due to the length of time it would take to travel to Sydney and back in the middle of the week.

The Townsville-based club have used a video-link ups for hearings in the past, but privately believe Bolton will be better served by fronting up in person due to the severity of the accusation.

"Scott is concerned about the charge, but we're not going to make any decisions until tomorrow (Tuesday)," Cowboys football manager Dean Lance told AAP.

"But I would like the think we will defend our player and contest he didn't bite.

"He has got a clean slate and done nothing wrong in the last three years he has played."

Lance also said the club would consider using the services of Townsville-based lawyer Colin White, who produced one of the most colourful defences in judiciary history to get Johnathan Thurston off a detrimental conduct charge in June.

"That is something we will look at, and I would imagine we will get a third party in to defend Scott, but that is not a call I can make," Lance said.

"But we will look at our options and avenues available to us and take it from there."

Compounding the Cowboys' woes is a dangerous throw charge that threatens to rub rookie Dane Hogan out until the early rounds of next season.

Hogan was charged with a grade four infringement after flipping Titans winger Kevin Gordon on his head.

Titans coach John Cartwright labelled the tackle "scary" in his post-match address.

Even with an early guilty plea, Hogan would be suspended for five games, which would keep him sidelined until the second round of the 2011 season, with one trial match allowed to be counted as part of the ban.

Should he contest the charge and lose, Hogan would be out for seven matches, or until round four next year.

Lance said the Cowboys may try and get the charge downgraded to grade three, but admitted it is a risk.

"It was an accident and these things happen, but we will look at deciding what we can for all parties, but right now we are not sure what we are going to do with it," he said,

"If we fight the charge and get it downgraded he will get a three-game ban, but if we lose it could be seven, so we will sit down and watch the incident again and decide what to do."

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