The Brisbane Broncos are set to be without forward Keenan Palasia for at least one week, and potentially two after he was hit with a careless high tackle charge by the NRL match review committee.
The tackle was only ranked a Grade 1 by the committee, but it's still enough to see Palasia suspended for one week with an early guilty plea, or two if he fights his case at the judiciary and loses.
Penalised on-field, the tackle was in the 18th minute on Hymel Hunt during the Broncos' loss on Thursday evening to the Newcastle Knights.
Palasia, generally noted as a second rower, has played in eight matches this year, while he has also had three as the 18th man, making it onto the field for seven minutes in one of those games during a Round 15 flogging at the hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Kevin Walters has used Palasia in the front row during the past two weeks, with the 24-year-old starting both games at prop.
He managed 61 minutes last week against the North Queensland Cowboys, before playing 57 in last night's encounter. He made 156 metres and a pair of tackle busts in the win over the Cowboys in what was an outstanding performance.
Prop
All Run Metres
Tackle Breaks
Hitups
There were no other charges handed out from the contest, won by the Knights 28 points to 20.
The Knights now sit in outright seventh place on the NRL competition table, but will be watching other results this weekend, with all of the Gold Coast Titans, Cronulla Sharks, St George Illawarra Dragons and Canberra Raiders just two competition points behind them. All five teams were only separated by for and against heading into the weekend.
