Penrith star Nathan Cleary made a “very good case” to have a Grade 2 negligent high tackle charge dropped in the NRL’s Court of Justice tonight – and one of the NRL’s most prominent player lawyers says it could set a precedent for the 2026 season. We will update live from 18:00 below!

The Panthers halfback is heading to NRL headquarters seeking a Grade 2 negligent high tackle charge reduced to a lighter Grade 1 penalty following his 38th-minute shot on Wests Tigers winger Himasi Makhasini in Friday night’s 26-12 loss to the Panthers at Leichhardt Oval.

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Watch live updates from Nathan Cleary’s judicial hearing below – if you can’t see them. Tap here!

Sydney criminal lawyer Paul McGirr, who has successfully represented some of the NRL’s most prominent figures in on-field matters, believes Mr Cleary and his legal team will provide a strong defense if the charges are dropped.

“From my experience, he has a very good case, but it can be very difficult in a judicial setting, keeping in mind that the case can get bogged down in the actual technicalities, rather than focusing on the free-flowing game and the events that occur,” McGill said. foxsports.com.au.

“One of the things I’ve pointed out in the judicial hearings I’ve been involved in is that it’s so nitty-gritty that at one stage there was a debate about whether a player’s eyes should be open or closed when making a tackle. As I’ve pointed out, most players close their eyes when making a tackle, because that’s a normal human reflex.”

Last June, McGuire successfully defended Bulldogs back-rower Viliam Kikau in the NRL Court of Justice, overturning a dangerous contact charge stemming from a late challenge on Eels playmaker Mitchell Moses.

Penrith will reportedly claim that Macassini fell when Cleary made contact with the Tigers winger, and McGill believes this defense will stand up to the judiciary.

“I’m always ready to go to court to fight what I believe is a good defense. Most people who take up these particular issues believe they have a good case,” McGirr said.

“All these issues can make it very difficult for attacking players to pay sufficient attention and attention to other players, as well as making defenses and attacks unpredictable, especially in contact sports.

“As we know, when two forces come from different directions, very similar events can produce different outcomes in almost any scenario.”

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Mr McGill believes the NRL judiciary has an opportunity tonight to set the standard for a high-level response to the 2026 season when it comes to handling and assessing the Cleary incident.

He welcomed officials to favor a more subjective approach and to scrutinize the current process.

“I respect the process, but I know a lot of clubs don’t have a lot of confidence in the system so they don’t bother going to court,” McGirr said.

“Fortunately, the advantage the NRL has over other judicial hearings is that there are usually some former players who have actually played the game and have a better feel and understanding of the situation.

“The current justice system needs to be looked at very carefully. I have the utmost respect for Mr. Bellew.” [Honourable Geoffrey Bellew AM SC, former Justice of the Supreme Court and current chairperson of the NRL judiciary] The same goes for other parties, including prosecutors, but I think that certainly needs to be considered. Almost the same thing can have very difficult consequences.

“When dealing with these particular issues, you should always consider them as subjective rather than strictly objective issues.”

The Panthers are quietly optimistic that Cleary’s negligent high tackle charge will be reduced, and remain steadfast that there is sufficient evidence to bring him to court.

For this to be ruled as a grade 1 negligent high tackle, the match review committee would need to be satisfied that the tackle was of low to medium force and that there were mitigating factors.

If Cleary is successful, he will be free to play in the Panthers’ first-round game against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

If he fails, The Panthers’ star team will miss the first three games of the season, with Jack Cogger likely parachuting in. I change into my precious number 7 jersey.

A Panthers spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.