The Goannas have asked for a week’s delay in hearing the case as Warden has work commitments and would not be available for a hearing tonight.

Warden will plead guilty to a charge of striking but will argue that he was acting in self-defence and seek the charge grading to be downgraded to low, which would result in a four-week ban.

Maitland's Dane Tilse who traded blows with Warden has decided against challenging the grading of the charge and has pleaded guilty and accepted a two-week ban from the Newcastle Rugby League judiciary.

Tilse’s good record spared him from a harsher sentence, with past offences coming back to haunt Warden who can challenge the charge. If it is upheld and Cessnock do not make the finals, he will have played his last game for the season. 

Pickers president Frank Lawler said the Pickers had believed Tilse had a strong case that he was acting in self-defence and should therefore have the grading level downgraded to low and a one-week ban.

However, Lawler said after Geordie Connelly’s unsuccessful appeal against a high tackle last week, Tilse and the Pickers decided  the risk of attracting another week to the ban was too high.

Cessnock secretary Cherie Douglas said the club and Warden had decided to challenge the grading arguing that Warden had thrown the first punch but had been defending himself after Tilse grabbed him by the neck and he received a blow to the side of the head by another Pickers player.

“Kurt accepted an early guilty plea earlier in the season on a charge of a rolling tackle. We had considered a challenge as no report was made at the time but given it was the start of the season Kurt decided to plead guilty and get things over,” she said.

“It has come back to haunt him with the loadings from that contributing to his latest lengthy ban.

“As a club we have decided that we will back our players if they believe they have a case. I commend Kurt for challenge the grading as he honestly believes he was acting in self-defence,” she said.

Goannas star recruit Paul Carter has decided to plead guilty to a low-grade high tackle charge and a one-week penalty, however, he will have to front the judiciary panel tonight on a charge of using offensive language towards the referee.

Deemed a serious offence, the charge which resulted from comments made by Carter after the melee at the end of the game will be heard tonight.

Cessnock’s Joe Bromage will challenge a low-grade dangerous throw charge and a one-week ban.

The judiciary panel is expected to announce its decision and penalties on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the Pickers expect to be without captain-coach Luke Dorn, five-eighth Ryan Walsh and forward Jacob Sinclair for at least this week because of injuries.

Dorn has a suspected fracture in his sternum and will have scans later this week, Sinclair injured his collarbone, Walsh will be tested after several heavy knocks in the game against Cessnock.

However, the Pickers are expecting halfback Hayden Grainger to be back from injury and Geordie Connelly will return after serving a one-week suspension. 

The Pickers host South Newcastle in a top-three battle on Saturday.