Former Gold Coast football manager Scott Sattler is urging the Titans to offer a new contract to captain Kevin Proctor regardless of the outcome of his biting charge.
The 31-year-old has been referred straight to the NRL judiciary after he became the first player in the league’s history to be sent off for biting during Saturday’s loss to Cronulla.
Proctor has insisted he did not bite Sharks’ playmaker Shaun Johnson but faces a lengthy suspension if he’s found guilty by the panel on Tuesday night.
The New Zealand international is off-contract but with Ryan James’ departure to Canberra next season already confirmed, Sattler says the Titans need Proctor’s leadership next year whether he’s suspended or not.
“Although it’s very exciting the signings that the Gold Coast Titans have made next year with (David) Fifita, (Herman) Ese’ese and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and co, there’s not many leaders in the club,” Sattler told AAP.
“His first introduction to rugby league was with a club that lives and breathes work ethic and leadership qualities and they don’t leave you when you leave a club like the Melbourne Storm, you learn so much.
“Although he’s not scoring the tries that he used to at Melbourne he’s still a very big piece of the puzzle when it comes to the defensive capabilities of the individual and also the leadership capability.
“I would be offering him a contract at obviously a highly reduced price purely for the fact that we need someone to be able to manage this very good young talent that we have got at the club and that we’ve got coming to the club.”
Sattler has also lauded the Titans’ strong public defence of Proctor, with both coach Justin Holbrook and head of performance Mal Meninga supporting the forward.
“You look at the evidence and you look at the individual,” Sattler said.
“You look at their values. You look at what they represent as a person and you decide whether they’re telling the truth or not based on your experiences with them and back that up with the evidence as well.
“I think it’s a charge that’s worth fighting. I think it’s a player that’s worth backing.”
