The Maitland Pickers take on Cessnock without star utility back Geordie Connolly on Saturday.
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The Pickers failed to overturn a low-grade dangerous throw against Connolly and he will serve a one-week ban with 50 carry over points.
Connolly, who was placed on report at the time for the incident in the 74th minute, declined to take an early guilty plea which would have resulted in a one-week ban but no carry over points.
The Pickers took the case to the judiciary on Wednesday night.
The judiciary announced on Thursday morning that it upheld the charge.
Pickers president Frank Lawler had opted to go to the judiciary as they didn’t believe Connolly had lifted the Bulldogs player and had not done anything wrong.
“We felt Geordie had just braced himself and that the position the Bulldogs player found himself in was more because of impact from Pickers front-rower tackling across him across the chest.
“Sinni didn’t do anything illegal but when he hit the Bulldogs player in the chest with the tackle it flung him into the air.
“We believe the video cleared Geordie of lifting him at all. He was just standing his ground and bracing for impact.
“The Bulldogs player didn’t end up in a great positions but we believe it wasn’t because of an illegal act by either of the Maitland players.”
Connolly, the club’s 2016 best and fairest, will be sorely missed by the Pickers for his versatility and ability to play any role asked of him.
He was one of Maitland’s best against the Bulldogs playing a running support role for hooker Adam Clydsdale, a role Jarrod Smith had played before his season-ending knee injury.
