Ryan Matterson and Matt Burton will both walk the suspension tightrope for the remainder of the season after being hit with their respective second offence of the year from the NRL's match review committee.
Both players have already been hit by a prior charge this year, but will escape with fines for their Friday night misdemeanours.
Burton, who struggled to find anything like his best form during a tough loss for the Bulldogs in Auckland against the New Zealand Warriors, has been pinged by a Grade 1 shoulder charge for a shot on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
He can accept a $3000 fine with the early guilty plea, or risk a two-match suspension if he heads to the judiciary and loses the case.
Matterson, on the other hand, has been slapped with a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge for an offence in the second half of the Eels' horror loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs against Jai Arrow.
He can accept an $1800 fine for an early guilty plea, or risk $2500 if he elects to fight at the judiciary.
Both players are now at risk of receiving a third offence if they are charged again this season, which puts them both at risk of substantial penalties.
The list of penalties for a 'third offence' under the NRL's new judiciary code is as follows, with virtually every offence from here on out attracting a suspension of at least two matches for both players.
| Offence | Grade | Early guilty plea | Fight charge and lose |
| High tackle - careless | 1 | $3000 | 2 matches |
| 2 | 3 matches | 4 matches | |
| 3 | 4 matches | 5 matches | |
| High tackle - reckless | 1 | 5 matches | 6 matches |
| 2 | 6 matches | 7 matches | |
| 3 | 7 matches | 8 matches | |
| Dangerous contact | 1 | $3000 | 2 matches |
| 2 | 3 matches | 4 matches | |
| 3 | 4 matches | 5 matches | |
| Dangerous throw | 1 | 2 matches | 3 matches |
| 2 | 4 matches | 5 matches | |
| 3 | 6 matches | 7 matches | |
| Striking | 1 | 3 matches | 4 matches |
| 2 | 4 matches | 5 matches | |
| 3 | 5 matches | 6 matches | |
| Crusher tackle | 1 | 3 matches | 4 matches |
| 2 | 4 matches | 5 matches | |
| 3 | 5 matches | 6 matches | |
| Contrary conduct | 1 | $3000 | 2 matches |
| 2 | 3 matches | 4 matches | |
| 3 | 4 matches | 5 matches | |
| Shoulder charge | 1 | 3 matches | 4 matches |
| 2 | 4 matches | 5 matches | |
| 3 | 5 matches | 6 matches |
Both players will have until midday on Sunday (AEST) to determine whether they will challenge the penalties or accept the early guilty pleas.
