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Bulldogs skipper Crichton avoids ban, can face Titans

Bulldogs skipper Crichton avoids ban, can face Titans

Yahoo09-03-2025
Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton has escaped a ban and, fitness pending, will be free to face the Gold Coast after his sloppy tackle attempt led to a St George Illawarra penalty try.
The Samoan international was placed on report after his knees made contact with Christian Tuipulotu as he attempted to cross the line in the Bulldogs' 28-20 NRL win on Saturday.
The former Penrith premiership centre on Sunday copped a grade one dangerous contact charge and can accept an $1800 fine with an early guilty plea.
Count it! 🔥#BreatheFire #NRLDragonsBulldogs pic.twitter.com/m3DFcMrbob
— St George Illawarra Dragons (@NRL_Dragons) March 8, 2025
It leaves him free to face Gold Coast on Sunday, providing he has overcome the issues that saw him finish Saturday's clash on the sideline.
Crichton was visibly in discomfort as he was tended to by a trainer as the Dogs held off a fast-finishing home side, the captain then failing to front the customary post-match press conference.
Coach Cameron Ciraldo downplayed concerns, saying it was simply a case of lower-body cramping.
Fellow Bulldog Jacob Preston was also offered a fine for a dangerous contact charge, as was Dragon Emre Guler for his hip-drop tackle on Preston.
Dragons outside back Mathew Feagai will also cop a fine for his contact on Bronson Xerri, and in Saturday's other game North Queensland's Karl Lawton received the same punishment for his contact on Manly's Reuben Garrick.
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