Eel, Warrior facing suspensions as Waerea-Hargreaves escapes
The match review committee have handed down four charges.
Parramatta Eels forward Kelma Tuilagi is facing a four-match suspension for a dangerous throw, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak will miss a match for a high shot, and the Sydney Roosters have two forwards facing fines.
The NRL’s match review committee handed down four charges on Sunday morning from Saturday’s triple-header, with the Parramatta second-rower facing the longest ban of the quartet.
The edge forward, whose side would concede two tries while he was in the sin bin for the tackle, was responsible for a dangerous throw on Lindsay Collins early on in Saturday’s final contest.
“He lifts him up, takes him to ground with moderate force and a risk of injury, so he is in the bin,” referee Chris Butler said in sin binning him.
Tuilagi has been hit with a Grade 3 dangerous throw charge by the MRC, and will face four weeks with an early guilty plea, or five if he heads to the judiciary and loses.
In the same game, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was sin binned for a high shot on Shaun Lane but will escape with a Grade 1 careless high tackle charge, resulting in a $3000 fine or a two-match suspension if he fights and loses.
Naufahu Whyte has also been hit with a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge, which, being a first offence, will enable him to escape with a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea, or $1500 if he fights and loses.
The other charge from Saturday’s action came during the second game of the day as the Melbourne Storm beat the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland.
Warriors’ winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak found himself facing ten minutes in the sin bin for a high shot on Grant Anderson.
The messy sequence out wide would cost the Warriors a try in the very next set, with the winger now being charged with a Grade 2 careless high tackle.
That will see him face a one-week suspension with an early guilty plea, or two matches if he fights and loses. The Warriors face the Gold Coast Titans away from home next weekend, then the Brisbane Broncos at home during Round 17.
There were no charges handed out from Saturday’s first clash between the Gold Coast Titans and Wests Tigers.
All four charged players have until midday (AEST) on Monday to determine their pleas, with any potential hearings to be held on Tuesday night.