“I want to thank everybody inside for a fair hearing,” Crossland said after the result was handed down. “I apologise to Nathan and the Panthers and more importantly the game and the fans. It’s a terrible start to the most important week of the year due to myself.
“As soon as I walk out of this building my focus goes to the Newcastle Knights and winning this grand final, helping Harrison Graham prepare as best he can and get a win on Sunday.”
“I called [Nathan Cleary] yesterday. It was a tough phone call,” Crossland said during the hearing.
“I had to apologise and make sure he was doing all right. It was a horrific incident and he’s our best player. I reached out to his dad as well. I apologised to him. It ruined a great game and left a sour taste in everyone’s mind.
“He’s such a gentleman. He told me to stop saying sorry. He understood the situation, he was a class act and he was really good about it.
“It’s been the worst couple of days of my life. I’m a fan of the game before I’m a player. He’s my favourite player by a mile, so to be the reason he’s in hospital is killing me.”
The suspension means Crossland is out until at least the semi-finals of the World Cup if New Zealand makes it that far.
The Wellington-born forward received several abusive messages on social media over the incident, with Cleary defending him from his hospital bed.
“Please don’t be one of these people writing comments like this to Phoenix, it was a complete accident and he doesn’t deserve this unwarranted hate,” Cleary wrote in an Instagram story.
“He reached out to apologise and I have nothing but respect for him.
“He’s a competitor and our game is made up of split-second moments that sometimes lead to unfortunate circumstances.
“Comments like this are so unfair. Spread love, not hate.“