Reuben Cotter is free to play in the finals for North Queensland after a former Cowboys under-20s player produced a five-minute clinic as a lawyer at the NRL judiciary.
With Cotter facing the prospect of being rubbed out of Saturday's elimination final against Cronulla, the Cowboys co-captain was initially found guilty of a grade-two high-tackle charge on Tuesday night.
But the lock had the charge reduced to grade-one level in a subsequent downgrade bid, resulting in no ban, a $1500 fine and a massive cheer from him and coach Todd Payten on a video link.
Speaking to the panel for just five minutes, Cotter's lawyer Tom Hancock initially argued his client had only hit Canberra veteran Josh Papalii high because of a bump from North Queensland teammate Coen Hess.
Hancock, who played under-20s for the Cowboys in 2012 and Queensland Cup with Hess, argued his former teammate's involvement in the tackle had resulted in Cotter's body being "bent out of whack".
In turn, Hancock suggested that stopped his client from making a chest-on-chest tackle, and instead sent him upwards and towards Papalii's head.
"He looks set to make contact around the right pec area of Papalii," Hancock told the panel.
"He was entirely rational and what you'd expect of tackling a big dude off a kick off.
"Hess makes contact with Reuben on the outside of his left shoulder. And Reuben's trajectory changes quite drastically from there."
The tackle on Papalii briefly threatened to ruin the Canberra prop's final game in the NRL, before he passed an HIA and scored a try in the Raiders' 50-30 win.
Hancock's argument came after the NRL's legal counsel Lachlan Gyles had claimed Cotter's shoulder had started moving up towards Papalii's head without outside interference.
Panel members Henry Perenara and Bob Lindner took 30 minutes to find Cotter guilty, while conceding Hess had played some role in the contact.
When then asked by judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew if the Cowboys wanted to attempt to downgrade the charge, Hancock responded: "If it's available to us, then yeah, sure."
Hancock played 128 Queensland Cup games through six seasons with the Northern Pride up till 2020 and two subsequent years with the Townsville Blackhawks.
He also spent time working behind at the bar at the Cowboys' leagues club, while playing for North Queensland and studying to be a criminal lawyer.
But his greatest feat for the Cowboys could prove to have come on Tuesday night, with Cotter now cleared to to fly to Sydney this week for Saturday's do-or-die clash.
Had the Queensland State of Origin forward lost the case, he would have also missed week two of the finals if North Queensland were to progress that far.
Wednesday night was the third time Hancock has successfully defended a Cowboys player at the judiciary this year, including exonerating Cotter of a high-tackle charge last month.
He also helped Pat Carrigan beat a high-tackle charge in round 23.
Australian Associated Press
