MATT Groat has insisted the challenge which broke Lee Gaskell’s jaw was completely accidental.

The Doncaster prop’s left elbow connected with Gaskell’s face during the recent Championship encounter at Odsal, which Bradford won 72-6.

Groat pleaded guilty to reckless striking and was given a Grade D three-match ban after the disciplinary tribunal ruled there was a mitigating factor in that Gaskell tried to impede the Australian following a tackle.

Groat told the T&A: “I had no intention of causing any harm whatsoever to Gaskell.

“He had hold of me and I don’t know what he was trying to do, but I tried to shrug him off by swinging my body and arm around in order to get his arm off me.

“I’ve connected with him and he’s gone down, which I didn’t even realise until the referee called me back and I saw that Gaskell was on the ground.

“I was like ‘what’s happened here?’ because I honestly didn’t realise I had connected with him.

“I even said to the people on our bench after I’d been sin-binned ‘I didn’t touch him did I?’ and they were saying I had.

“It was definitely a big shock when I heard he had broken his jaw. I couldn’t believe it.”

Bulls managing director Steve Ferres claimed Groat should have been banned for at least eight weeks – a timeframe that Gaskell now looks set to be sidelined for.

But former NRL star Groat said: “It was a clear accident and I just want to stress that I didn’t mean to inflict the injuries that Gaskell sustained.

“I regret it and am full of remorse, so I will speak to him at the next game I come across him.

“I’m not a dirty player nor have I ever set out to be a dirty player.

“I’d certainly never set out to inflict any serious damage on anyone. But it’s a contact sport and you’ve got to live with your decisions on the field.”