NRL Judiciary News – Finals Week 1 Recap:

- Nathan Cleary was sin-binned on the stroke of half-time for a dangerous charge-down attempt on Roosters five-eighth Hugo Savala.

- All eyes turn to the NRL Match Review Committee, with anything above a Grade 1 charge set to rule the halfback out at a crucial stage of the finals.

- Warriors forward Adam Pompey cops the heaviest sanction, hit with a $3000 fine for a Grade 1 Shoulder Charge on Dolphins forward Ray Stone.

- Kurt Capewell and Selwyn Cobbo have each been slapped with $750 fines for Grade 1 Contrary Conduct after a first-half melee.

- Cowboys forward Griffin Neame faces an $1800 fine for a Grade 1 Careless High Tackle, while Sharks forward KL Iro was fined $1000 for a similar offence.

Cleary Brain Fade at Allianz

With the scores deadlocked at 12-all and 50 seconds left in the first half, Cleary lunged at a Hugo Savala clearing kick and made accidental contact with the five-eighth's legs.

 Referee sent the two-time Clive Churchill Medallist to the bin for ten and placed him on report for dangerous contact.

The Roosters couldn't cash in on the man advantage, with Savala also pushing the resulting penalty goal attempt wide. Cleary returned to the field in the 50th minute with the contest still on a knife's edge.

Speaking post-match, the Panthers No.7 didn't hold back on himself.

"My mind was racing a million miles an hour," Cleary said. "I just felt instant guilt; (it was) just a stupid play.

"I thought I had a moment to change the game there with 50 seconds to go in the half, but the way the rules are at the moment, you just can't put yourself in that position. It was silly by me."

MRC Verdict Looms Large for NRL Finals

The Panthers camp now waits nervously on the NRL Match Review Committee's grading. 

A Grade 1 dangerous contact charge would allow Cleary to escape with a fine and take his place in the prelim, but anything higher would trigger a suspension at the worst possible time of the season.

Coach Ivan Cleary has publicly hosed down suggestions his son will miss finals footy, backing the halfback to be cleared. There's also a minor injury concern in the mix, with Nathan spotted hobbling after nailing his 70th-minute one-pointer.

Warriors Feel the Pinch After Auckland Loss

The New Zealand Warriors' 26-16 elimination final loss to the Dolphins at Go Media Stadium has been compounded by MRC charges to two of their forwards.

Adam Pompey was the biggest casualty, cited for a Grade 1 Shoulder Charge on Dolphins prop Ray Stone that saw him sin-binned in the first half. 

As his second offence of the season, the fine has been bumped to $3000. Should Pompey challenge the charge at the judiciary and lose, he'd be sidelined for two matches – a hefty risk with the Warriors' finals campaign hanging by a thread against the Knights next Sunday.

Kurt Capewell was pinged moments later for Grade 1 Contrary Conduct after piling into a melee sparked when Dolphins’ halfback Isaiya Katoa flipped Jackson Ford in a tackle. 

Capewell's clean three-year record earns him the discounted $750 fine, which would rise to $1000 if unsuccessfully challenged.

Cobbo Copes with Matching Charge

Dolphins’ winger Selwyn Cobbo wasn't spared either, sin-binned for his role in the same fracas and hit with an identical Grade 1 Contrary Conduct charge. Like Capewell, Cobbo's three-year clean sheet keeps his fine at $750.

The pair of sin-binnings left the Warriors briefly down to 11 players, a numerical disadvantage that ultimately proved costly in a match the Dolphins controlled through their forward pack.

Sharks and Cowboys Trade High Shots

The Cronulla Sharks' 26-16 victory over the North Queensland Cowboys ended the Townsville outfit's 2025 campaign, but not before both sides picked up MRC attention.

Cowboys forward Griffin Neame was charged with Grade 1 Careless High Tackle on Sharks forward KL Iro. It's Neame's second offence of the season, meaning an $1800 fine – or $2500 if unsuccessfully contested.

Iro then found himself in hot water moments later for a Grade 1 Careless High Tackle on a Cowboys opponent. His first offence of the season limits the damage to a $1000 fine, potentially rising to $1500 at the judiciary.

What's Next in the NRL Finals

The Sydney Roosters will host the Cronulla Sharks in a straight-shootout semi-final at Allianz Stadium, while the Panthers await the winner of the New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights elimination final for a preliminary final showdown.

Head to Sportsbet for the latest NRL finals odds, head-to-head markets and futures on the 2026 premiership race.