Sydney Roosters veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has failed to have his dangerous contact charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday evening and will miss seven games.
Waerea-Hargreaves was charged with a Grade 2 dangerous contact charge by the NRL judiciary after being sin binned for a shot on Apisai Koroisau during Saturday evening's win over the Wests Tigers.
The veteran prop was also charged with a striking charge for a headbut on Stefano Utoikamanu.
Both charges carried a three-week ban with an early guilty plea, which the prop took for the striking charge, while he elected to contest the dangerous contact charge, risking an extra week.
The three-man judiciary panel of Justice Geoffrey Bellew, Bob Linder and Sean Hampstead took under 30 minutes of deliberating to find him guilty of the Grade 2 dangerous contact offence.
Waerea-Hargreaves defence centred on the idea that the tackle was a "body check" on a kicker than it was clumsy, rather than being intentionally careless or reckless.
His camp also denied the tackle was high, although the NRL's counsel Patrick Knowles said evidence pointed the other direction, and that Waerea-Hargreaves always intended to make contact, while the fact Koroisau wasn't injured was down to good luck.
Given Waerea-Hargreaves is a likely selection for the New Zealand at the end of the year, he should be able to serve at least two games, and three if the Kiwis make the final, during the international tri-series.
If the Roosters make the grand final and play another five games this season, the prop could return if the Kiwis make the final of the tri-series.
On the other end of the scale, if the Roosters lose to the Rabbitohs this weekend, and the Kiwis don't make the final, Waerea-Hargreaves will still have four games to serve next season.