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“As soon as it happened I went and spoke to Chanel,” Crichton said. “It was honestly like a reaction. I didn’t know he was coming and there was no malice in it at all. I am sending out my blessing to his family. It is all love between me and Chanel.

“He knows whenever I play football, I don’t try an injure anyone or try to hurt anyone. I know I am a good person. I play the game the way the game is meant to be played. It was honestly a genuine freak accident. I never want anyone to get injured on the field like that, especially knockouts.

“Two of my great mates in Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner, it has ruined their careers. So I never want to injure anyone. That was not my intention at all. So anyone I have upset, anyone in his family, anyone in the Samoan community that I have upset, I am genuinely sorry for that because it was not my intention.”

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