The South Sydney Rabbitohs are set to be without Keaon Kolomatangi until at leas the NRL finals after he was charged for a crusher tackle.
The tackle was committed in the 35th minute of the Rabbitohs' eventual loss to a reformed and rejuvenated Penrith Panthers' outfit, with Brend Naden the player in the tackle.
While Kolomatangi has been hit with a Grade 1 charge for the crusher, the NRL's determination to stamp out the tackle means it carries a base penalty of 200 points.
While some players with a clean record would simply be able to take the early guilty plea and have a single week off, Kolomatangi does have a prior similar offence on his record, attracting 50 per cent loading.
It means the second rower will miss two weeks even with an early guilty plea.
One would suspect he is unlikely to take the risk of fighting the charge at the NRL judiciary, given the penalty would move out to three weeks should he fight and lose.
Kolomatangi has been an instrumental part of South Sydney sitting as high as they are on the ladder this season, and he played the full 80 minutes against Penrith on Friday evening.
Kolomatangi has regularly played big minutes during the year, and his absence will impact South Sydney, although last night's loss almost certainly resigns the Rabbitohs to third place on the table and a first-week finals showdown once again with the Panthers, who appear unlikely to catch the Melbourne Storm for the minor premiership.
Jacob Host would be the most likely option to come into the second row for Kolomatangi, with Jaydn Su'A the most likely candidate to then join the bench.
