North Queensland forward Scott Bolton played last Saturday's game against Gold Coast without a mouthguard, a defence he used in being found not guilty of biting at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night.

In what turned out to be the case of the wrong backpack, Bolton was found not guilty of the dangerous contact charge by the panel of Mal Cochrane, Michael Buettner and Don McKinnon.

Bolton had been referred directly to the judiciary with the alleged bite on Gold Coast's Clinton Toopi taking place after four minutes of last Saturday's 37-18 loss to the Titans at Skilled Park.

Bolton's lawyer Geoff Bellew successfully argued the contact was accidental, and made worse by the Cowboys back-rower taking the wrong backpack, the one without his mouthguard in it, to Skilled Park.

At the time, veteran centre Toopi immediately complained to referee Jason Robinson, saying: "He's f****** biting me."

Pressed to make a formal complaint, Toopi declined but the audio of his initial outburst was allowed as evidence in Wednesday night's hearing.

Bolton vowed to remember his mouthguard from now on.

"I definitely am, mate," he said. "Mum will be on my case for it straight away." Bellew argued the downward pressure exerted by tacklers Toopi and Anthony Laffranchi had caused Toopi's arm to make contact with Bolton's mouth.

Asked by Bellew if he'd clamped down on the arm with his mouth, Bolton replied: "No, I didn't." But the mouthguard defence was also central.

"That might explain why it is that with the various forces and pressures being applied, Mr Toopi might have thought he was being bitten," Bellew said.

The 23-year-old fringe Queensland candidate had a clean record before the charge and was relieved to keep that intact.

"I'm very happy with the verdict and it was very important for me to come down here and clear my name and just get on with my footy for the rest of the year and hopefully the following years to come," he said.

His exoneration comes as a let-off for the struggling Cowboys, who are down seven forwards including Dane Hogan who was suspended for five games for a dangerous throw in the same match.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston is also out for the season with ankle and foot injuries.

"Obviously we are very happy with the decision as a club," Cowboys football manager Dean Lance said. The Titans' William Zillman was the last NRL player to be banned for biting, copping four matches last year.

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