THE NRL says South Sydney prop Nathan Brown escaped a charge for an apparent stomp because he made contact with Agnatius Paasi’s groin.

Brown on Monday was not charged by the match review committee (MRC) despite an ugly incident in which he stamped his foot on Gold Coast forward Paasi during golden point of the Titans’ controversial 29-28 win in Perth on Sunday.

The incident, in which Brown appeared to strike Paasi in the crotch, prompted former NSW great Brett Kimmorley to call for the Bunnies forward to be rubbed out for at least three weeks, labelling it a “dog act”.

However MRC head Michael Buettner defended the decision to merely issue Brown with a concerning act notice.

Buettner said Brown had not struck Paasi with sufficient force and because he struck him in the groin, he was unlikely to cause injury.

“He’s applied pressure and it wasn’t deemed forceful by the match review committee,” Buettner said.

“And one of the other aspects here is that due to contact area, there wasn’t an unacceptable risk of injury to the player on this occasion.” Buettner’s claims that there was a low risk of injury came despite Paasi appearing to clutch at his groin and roll around on the ground in pain.

The MRC boss described it as careless rather than intentional however Kimmorley said he should be sat down for several weeks.

media_camera Brown appears to stomp on Paasi.

“He 100 per cent kicks him, steps on him intentionally, whatever you want to call it,” Kimmorley told Fox Sports News on Monday. “It should have been a penalty there and put on report and definitely have time out of the game.

“It’s a dog act isn’t it? It’s not an accidental high shot where it’s a timing issue. I don’t want that in the game.” Meanwhile Raiders fullback Jack Wighton will miss Thursday’s clash with Brisbane on a one-match ban after giving an early guilty plea for his charge of contrary conduct over contact to an official.

He had touched linesman Brett Suttor on the hip while remonstrating over a decision.

Wighton will be joined on the sideline for the match by forward teammate Shannon Boyd, who pleaded guilty to a shoulder charge on Manly’s Jake Trbojevic.

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Sydney Roosters forward Dylan Napa is facing a one-match suspension for a high shot on Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco after he was charged by the match review committee on Monday. Carry-over points mean Napa will miss Saturday’s clash with Melbourne unless he successfully contests his charge over the first-minute incident.

Penrith’s Sam McKendry is yet to decide whether he will fight a minimum two-match ban for a shoulder charge on Melbourne’s Cameron Munster.

McKendry risks a third week of suspension if he attempts to challenge the charge and is unsuccessful at the judiciary.

Originally published as How Brown escaped suspension