Cowboys pair Viliami Vailea and John Bateman are set to spend at least a week on the sidelines, after being charged following the 38-14 loss to Melbourne.
In just the third minute of the game, Vailea was placed on report for a chicken wing tackle on Melbourne’s Nelson Asofa-Solomona, which prompted an angry response from the forward who launched the ball at his opponent’s head.
The centre was charged with a Grade 2 Dangerous Contact offence and can take a one-game ban with a guilty plea, which rises to two weeks should he fail in contesting it at the judiciary.
John Bateman is facing the same sanction after he was placed on report for tripping.
He threw out a leg at opponent Shawn Blore in the ninth minute of the clash, also landing himself on report. A one-week ban with a guilty plea will increase to two should he take it to the judiciary and fail.
The only other player to be charged from Friday’s other game between the Dolphins and St George Illawarra Dragons was Herbie Farnworth.
The Dolphins centre will be fined $1000 for a Careless High Tackle should he enter an early guilty plea, which increases to $1500 should he fight it and be unsuccessful.
It comes after Knights winger James Schiller was also fined for a high tackle in Thursday night’s come-from-behind Golden Point victory over Manly.
