Dunley suspended for 4 weeks

Manly hooker Shayne Dunley has become the first player to be suspended for spitting in 12 years after the NRL judiciary tonight found him guilty of a grade five contrary conduct charge.

Dunley received a slight reprieve after the charge was downgraded to a grade four, meaning the 29-year-old copped a four-match ban instead of five games.

The NRL judiciary panel of Bob Lindner, Jeff Hardy and Mark Coyne agreed that Dunley had spat in the direction of PJ Marsh during the Sea Eagles' 18-12 loss to Parramatta last Friday night.

He has become the first player to be suspended for spitting since Balmain's Jamie Corcoran in 1993.

In light of Dunley's previously unblemished record over eight years of first grade football, his legal representative Geoff Bellew was successful in having the charge downgraded.