The NRL's match review committee have handed down five charges from an afternoon of mayhem which saw the South Sydney Rabbitohs defeat the Sydney Roosters to keep their season alive in the second elimination final.
The Rabbitohs have booked a meeting with the Cronulla Sharks next Saturday evening as a result of the clash, but they will likely have to do so without Thomas Burgess, who was one of two players suspended in the game.
Burgess was charged for two separate tackles, which occurred within a minute of each other after he came onto the park during the game, which saw a staggering seven sin bins to set an NRL record.
While Burgess was sent to the sin bin for the second tackle of two - against Matt Lodge - it was the first tackle against James Tedesco, which he was allowed to stay on the field for, which garnered the more serious Grade 2 charge.
A Grade 2 charge, being Burgess' second offence of the season, will see him able to take a two-week ban with the early guilty plea, or risk a three-week ban if he heads to the judiciary and loses the challenge. He may fight for a downgrade and accept guilt, which would lower the penalty to a fine as it is for the second tackle.
The two Burgess tackles were immediately followed by a brutal high shot from Taane Milne, who was also sent to the sin bin, reducing South Sydney to 11 players.
He has only been hit with a Grade 1 charge though and will be able to play next week with an $1800 fine offered with an early guilty plea. Milne had a second sin bin later in the game, but avoided sanction for the tackle.
The other two charges out of the game were both against Roosters' players.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is set to start his 2023 season on the sidelines, staring down the barrel of a three-match ban for a Grade 2 dangerous contact charge against Burgess during the 50th minute.
Joseph Suaalii is the other player to be charged, hit with a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge for a raised knee as he ran the football. Suaalii was warned for his running style just a fortnight ago.
Other players placed on report or sent to the sin bin for dangerous contact during the game were Victor Radley, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Matthew Lodge and Tevita Tatola.
All four players will make their decisions on whether to accept the early guilty plea or not by Tuesday at midday (AEST), with any subsequent hearings to be held on Tuesday evening.
List of charges
Thomas Burgess - Grade 2 careless high tackle (2 weeks with an early guilty plea)
Thomas Burgess - Grade 1 careless high tackle ($1800 fine with an early guilty plea)
Taane Milne - Grade 1 careless high tackle ($1800 fine with an early guilty plea)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves - Grade 2 dangerous contact (3 weeks with an early guilty plea)
Joseph Suaalii - Grade 1 dangerous contact ($1800 fine with an early guilty plea)
Not that it really needed saying but Hargreaves is a psychopath and the biggest grub since Les Boyd and Bob Cooper. If this clown played in the 1970’s he would have been handed a 12 month suspension by now given he is a serial offender the likes we’ve never seen before. Sickening to see the biased roosters supporters that pretend to be commentators on Channel 9, lauding this clown at all opportunities.