NRL Rd 3 - Panthers v Knights
BATHURST, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Mat Croker of the Knights is tackled during the round three NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Newcastle Knights at Carrington Park, on March 26, 2022, in Bathurst, Australia. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Newcastle Knights forward Mat Croker is set to spend the start of the 2023 NRL season on the sideline after being hit with a Grade 3 dangerous contact charge for a hip drop tackle against Siosifa Talakai.

The tackle left Talakai hobbling to the sideline with an ankle injury less than a week out from their qualifying final with the North Queensland Cowboys at Shark Park next Saturday evening.

While he will await scans to ascertain the damage - likely a syndesmosis injury - Croker found himself in the sin bin for the tackle and now is facing a two-match ban to kick-off the 2023 season if he takes the early guilty plea.

Should he head to the judiciary and fight, but lose the challenge, then he will be up for a three-week ban.

Three other charges were handed out from Sunday's games, with Corey Horsburgh the only finals-bound player under the microscope.

The Canberra forward was pinged for a Grade 1 careless high tackle against Jock Madden, which, with a three-year incident-free discount, will see him pay a fine of $750 with an early guilty plea, or $1000 if he heads to the judiciary and loses.

Horsburgh's Grade 1 charge would have been eligible for a fine regardless of whether it was a Grade 1, 2 or 3 charge based on the fact it was his first offence under the NRL's new rolling 12-month judiciary record system.

Two Tigers players have also picked up fines, with Jake Simpkin and Zane Musgrove both hit for Grade 1 dangerous contact charges. Simpkin will pay $1800 with an early guilty plea for his second offence of the year, while Musgrove will pay $1000 with it only being his first charge of the year.