Cessnock's Paul Carter and Maitland's Dan Tilse have both been handed hefty bans in the wake of an ugly brawl in the dying seconds of last Saturday's Coalfields clash.
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Tilse accepted a two week ban, but Carter paid a far heavier price receiving a five week ban after pleading guilty at the Newcastle Rugby League judiciary Wednesday night to a charge of using offensive language towards a referee.
Carter, whose early guilty plea saw his suspension reduced from 10 weeks, also received a one-week ban after taking an early guilty plea to a low-grade high tackle and will not be eligible to play until Cessnock’s final round encounter against Central Newcastle.
The Goannas are considering an appeal.
It was a bitter blow for the Goannas, who will also be without front-rower Kurt Warden for at least four weeks and potentially the remainder of the season depending on the outcome of a challenge on the grading of his charge at a judiciary hearing next Wednesday.
Warden will argue the grading of a medium striking charge against Tilse should be reduced to low as he was acting in self-defence. If successful his ban would be reduced to four weeks, but if not an additional week could be added.
The Goannas received some good news from Wednesday night’s judiciary hearing with the panel dismissing a low-grade throwing charge against Joe Bromage.
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.
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. In more good news half Blake Birch played in reserve grade along with front-rower Rob Mason as both are managed in their return from injury.
The Pickers (third) host South Newcastle (second) in a top-three battle on Saturday. The two teams are equal on 10 point with Western Suburbs and two points behind top side Lakes United.
