NRL Match Review and Judiciary News Summary

-          Broncos captain Patrick Carrigan faces a polarising two-match suspension following a Grade 2 high shot in the Queensland derby.

-          Panthers youngster Casey McLean will miss Round 7 of the NRL for a high shot that left Bulldogs prop Max King with a broken jaw.

-          Eels centre Will Penisini is the only player to contest his charge, with a judiciary hearing scheduled for Tuesday night.

-          Seven players have opted for early guilty pleas, resulting in monetary fines ranging from $1000 to $3000.

Controversy Erupts at Red Hill as Carrigan Copped Two Weeks

The biggest talking point of the Round 6 judiciary sheet is undoubtedly the suspension of Brisbane skipper Patrick Carrigan. The star lock will miss upcoming clashes against the Wests Tigers and Bulldogs for a high tackle on Cowboys centre Tom Chester in the 10th minute of Friday night's epic derby.

The decision has sparked significant debate, particularly as Carrigan was already punished with a crucial sin bin on the night.

Many fans and pundits saw the tackle as relatively minor, so to be met with a penalty on the field, a sin bin and a two-match suspension seems questionable as Brisbane try to mount their premiership defence.

However, the NRL's progressive penalty system left Carrigan with little room for manoeuvre; as this was his second offense of this nature, the early guilty plea still carried a mandatory two-game stint on the sidelines.

To many, seeing one of the game's cleanest leaders suspended for a fortnight over this specific shot is disappointing.

McLean Sidelined as Penisini Faces the Panel

Penrith will be without centre Casey McLean for their next outing after he accepted a one-match ban. McLean was sent to the sin bin in the eighth minute of Thursday night's clash at Accor Stadium for a high tackle on Max King.

While McLean sits out for a week, King faces a much longer recovery from the resulting broken jaw.

Meanwhile, Parramatta’s Will Penisini is the only player choosing to fight his charge this week. Penisini has pleaded not guilty to a Grade 1 Careless High Tackle charge involving Gold Coast’s Beau Fermor.

He will appear before the judiciary panel on Tuesday night hoping to clear his name and avoid a fine, totally understandable in this economy.

Storm and Souths Hit with Repeat Offender Fines

The NRL’s wallet continues to grow as high tackle charges dominate the remainder of the charge sheet. Melbourne’s Trent Loiero was hit with the heaviest financial penalty, a $3000 fine for a Grade 1 shot on Warriors livewire Taine Tuaupiki.

This being Loiero’s third and subsequent offense of this nature, the fine was escalated to the maximum for a Grade 1 charge.

Latrell Mitchell, Jahrome Hughes and Billy Burns all find themselves in the same boat, copping $1800 fines after entering early guilty pleas for Grade 1 Careless High Tackle charges.

For all three men, this was their second offense, proving that the Match Review Committee is keeping a very close eye on repeat offenders in the lead-up to the Origin period.

With the speed of the game, narrowing of the tackle target zone, endless from multiple angles and players bigger and stronger than ever, the game seems borderline impossible to play without getting fined these days.

Standard Fines for Olakau'atu, Mann, and Fainu

The final three charges of the round resulted in standard $1000 fines for first-time offenders. Haumole Olakau'atu accepted the penalty for a tackle on Jacob Liddle, while Bulldogs lock Kurt Mann was fined for his high shot on Scott Sorensen.

Wests Tigers youngster Samuela Fainu also opted for an early plea regarding a Grade 1 Dangerous Contact charge, rounding out a busy weekend for the Match Review Committee.

Odds are subject to change. *