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Message: [QUOTE="Super Freak, post: 2731732, member: 8536"] JAMES Roberts is set to be charged with contrary conduct for lightly patting a referee on the chest in an apparent effort to thank him. The pending charge, expected to be handed out on Monday, has divided opinion with Brad Fittler adamant players should be fined rather than suspended if they touch a referee innocuously. Bulldogs prop David Klemmer is set to miss two weeks for lightly contacting referee Ben Cummins in Canterbury’s victory over Penrith. Former match review committee chairman Greg McCallum told [I]The Courier-Mail [/I]Roberts was certain to be charged for contrary conduct too. The NRL is cracking down on any contact between player and referee regardless of intent, a stance NRL clubs are increasingly frustrated by. Roberts’ referee touch was even lighter than ’s. Brisbane may consider contesting any charge as Roberts was not looking at the referee when he touched him and did not speak to him. They could argue he didn’t know it was a referee. His clean record should mean he escapes suspension if he is only hit with a grade one charge. Roberts does not have any loading or carry over points. However, the carry-over points he could accrue this week would harm Brisbane later this year if he was charged for anything. The Broncos were awarded a penalty in the 78th minute of Brisbane’s win over the Warriors and Roberts patted the chest of referee Matt Noyen. “This is one of those incidents that divides opinions but he touched the referee and the NRL has for a few years now been very tough on contact between player and referee,” McCallum, who left the match review committee in 2013, said. “I think he will be charged. I would be surprised if he wasn’t. “Sam Moa was suspended last year for a similar incident. “I think James’ touch wasn’t as bad as ’s who seemed fired up but unfortunately they all get rolled into the one. “There is a strong feeling in the NRL that referees shouldn’t be touched full stop. “I don’t think Roberts will get enough points to be suspended where as has and that will divide opinion too.” Roberts could be the second Bronco in three years charged over touching a referee. Sam Thaiday was suspended for one game in 2013 for grabbing Adam Devcich’s shirt to illustrate how he was held down in a tackle. Then Broncos coach Anthony Griffin launched an uncharacteristic tirade at the NRL match review committee for charging Thaiday over his shirt tug. The Broncos fought that charge and lost at the judiciary. [URL]http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/broncos/james-roberts-to-be-charged-for-contact-with-referee-in-apparent-effort-to-thank-him/news-story/db0c20fd34d4d122eaef51d368647015[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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