Soni Luke has escaped suspension for his hip drop tackle on Saturday evening, but the news is not so good for Toafofoa Sipley or Brent Naden, who will both spend time on the sidelines in the coming weeks.
Luke's hip drop tackle - committed against Alex Twal at the back end of Penrith's shock loss to the Wests Tigers - saw him sent to the sin bin, and an exasperated Ivan Cleary ask whether his dummy half was simply supposed to let the attacking player go to avoid committing the offence.
Despite the sin-binning, Luke has escaped a ban, being charged with a Grade 1 dangerous contact offence that will see him pay a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea, or $1500 if he heads to the judiciary and loses the battle.
In the same game, Tigers' centre Brent Naden was placed in the sin bin mid-way during the first half for a shoulder charge on Zac Hosking.
That has been handed down as a Grade 2 shoulder charge offence by the NRL's match review committee, and being a second offence on his record, it will see him spend three matches on the sideline with an early guilty plea, or four matches if he heads to the judiciary and loses.
In the second game of the day, Manly prop Toafofa Sipley was sin-binned for a crusher tackle on Phillip Sami. That has also been handed down as a Grade 2 charge, and with it also being his second offence, he will also face a three-week ban with an early guilty plea, or four weeks if he fights and loses.
The other two charges handed down from Saturday's matches are both fines, with Dolphins' forward Ray Stone facing a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea for a dangerous throw, and barnstorming Manly second-rower Haumole Olakau'atu $3000 for a Grade 1 crusher tackle on Tino Fa'asauamaleaui. Stone will pay $1500 if he fights and loses, while Olakau'atu would be suspended for two matches.
All five players have until midday on Monday to determine whether they will fight the charges or take the early guilty plea.
