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While Titans head of performance and culture Mal Meninga unsuccessfully defended David Fifita earlier this season, Cleary became the first coach to act as a lawyer for some time.

Cleary started out by stressing that he meant “no disrespect to the [legal] fraternity” and was assured by judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew that he was entitled to represent his player.

But while the coach spoke eloquently via video link, it wasn’t enough for the panel of Ben Creagh, Bob Lindner and Dallas Johnson to acquit Koroisau.

He will now miss Friday night’s clash with the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium.

Cleary said he couldn’t find a definition for “true spirit of the game”, “melee” or “unnecessary contact” in the judiciary code, in his view making the case “subjective”.

“We think it’s very much a rugby league argument,” he said.

“Api, playing hooker, has to make many decisions in many games that he’s played. These decisions are based around instincts and this decision was certainly that.

“Tago reacts in a fearful manner [to Waerea-Hargreaves] and so [Koroisau] made a decision, instinctively, based on a few things.

“Tago is a five-game 19-year-old, Hagreaves is a 200-game 32-year-old who is twice his size.”

In Cleary’s mind, it would have been a bigger breach of the spirit of the game had Koroisau not stuck up for Tago against an “intimidating and experienced foe”.

Koroisau gave evidence at the outset, saying he saw Tago cop what looked like a forearm to the face from Waerea-Hargreaves.

“And then [he was] collared on the ground in a very vulnerable position,” he said.

“I only did it [push Waerea-Hargreaves] to tell him to stop trying to bully 19-year-old kids on the field,” he said.