South Sydney captain Cameron Murray is out for the season after failing in his bid to have his ban downgraded at the NRL judiciary.
Murray was controversially sin-binned for the clash with Newcastle’s Tyson Frizell, which was later graded as a Grade 2 careless high tackle with an attached penalty of two games with an early guilty plea.
But that has now blown out to three matches and will impact his availability for Mal Meninga’s Australian squad in the end-of-season Pacific Championships.
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The Rabbitohs face the Panthers this week and will finish the year with a game against the Roosters.
Earlier today, Sydney Roosters departing prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves accepted his three-match ban for the shot he laid on ex-teammate Sam Verrills during Sunday’s win over Gold Coast.
Had Waerea-Hargreaves unsuccessfully fought the charge, as he did his last suspension, the ban would have increased to four games and extended to the Roosters’ second finals game.
That could have left the win over Gold Coast as Waerea-Hargreaves’ last NRL game, given he joins English Super League side Hull KR in 2025.
By pleading guilty to the high tackle on Tuesday, the 35-year-old looks to have guaranteed himself at least one more game, given the Roosters appear destined for a top-four finish and a second chance in finals.
Waerea-Hargreaves’ ban comes as the NRL was forced to defend itself against claims of inconsistency in its policing of high tackles during Round 25.
Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton avoided the sin bin for a high shot on Warriors centre Roger Tuivasa-Sheck on Friday night, only to find himself suspended for one game the next morning.
But elsewhere, Manly’s Haumole Olakau’atu was sin-binned for a high tackle on Wests Tigers rookie Heath Mason and then escaped a ban from the match review committee.
Roosters captain James Tedesco said Waerea-Hargreaves’ physical style of play opened him up to the prospect of suspensions in the modern game.
“That’s how he plays and the NRL have cracked down on that majorly this year, you just can’t come into contact with any part of the head,” Tedesco said.
“I’m glad Sammy was all right because we’re all very close with Sammy. There was obviously no intention in it, but that’s just how Jared’s played the game for a lot of years.’‘
Elsewhere, Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien accepted a one-game ban for his high tackle on St George Illawarra’s Mat Feagai and will miss Saturday’s clash with the Warriors.
– With AAP
