Rugby league behemoth David Klemmer will forever be known as a hair puller after failing to save his reputation at the NRL judiciary.
Newcastle’s 198cm powerhouse prop and his esteemed defence counsel Nick Ghabar were unable to convince the three-man panel of Bob Lindner, Tony Puletua and Sean Garlick that Klemmer hadn’t tugged at Canterbury forward Raymond Faitala-Mariner’s locks on Sunday.
Klemmer won’t miss a game, instead being fined $1150, but he had been hoping to defend his honour on Tuesday night.
But not even Faitala-Mariner’s appearance as a witness trying to support Klemmer could spare the NSW State of Origin and Australian Test hardman.
Earlier on Tuesday, the embattled North Queensland Cowboys suffered another blow, with forward enforcer Josh McGuire rubbed out for one game.
McGuire failed in his bid to have a grade-one dangerous contact charge thrown out following his crusher tackle on Manly playmaker Cade Cust high in the Cowboys’ loss last Friday night to the Sea Eagles.
The former Kangaroos Test star will miss North Queensland’s clash with Canberra in Townsville on Saturday, as well as have 65 more points carried over.
McGuire’s tackle went unpunished by the on-field official, but the match review committee deemed the contact sufficient to charge McGuire.
His suspension comes as the Cowboys languish in 12th place on the ladder, six points outside the top eight and in desperate need of a win after losing four of their past six games.