South Sydney Rabbitohs outside back Taane Milne will avoid a trip to the judiciary if he accepts an early guilty plea for a shocking cannonball tackle on Melbourne Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster.
The tackle came in the dying seconds of the Rabbitohs' horror loss to the Storm in the third and final game on ANZAC Day, with Milne originally holding Munster upright in a multi-man tackle.
Milne then fell off the tackle and drove his shoulder into the knee region of Munster, causing the five-eighth to go to the ground, clearly in pain immediately after the incident.
The outside back was sin-binned, but not sent off for the tackle, and there was a thought in rugby league circles that he may have been directly referred to the judiciary.
Instead, he has been hit with a Grade 3 dangerous contact charge. Milne hasn't had any other offences during the last 12 months, so will receive just two matches on the sidelines with an early guilty plea, or three matches if he elects to fight the challenge and loses at the judiciary.
The match review committee's call is sure to raise eyebrows given the nature of the tackle, with the Rabbitohs now needing to find a replacement for the Fijian representative over the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, St George Illawarra Dragons' fullback Tyrell Sloan has been charged twice, both for dangerous contact.
The first came when he lashed out at Sam Walker in a tackle, connecting his boot to the jaw of the star Roosters' half - the tackle had come after a break, and Walker did appear to be taking liberties in attempting to hold Sloan on the ground, although wasn't penalised.
The Dragons' fullback wasn't penalised himself by referee Adam Gee who had a mixed afternoon with the whistle, but the Grade 1 charge as a first offence will see him pay $1000 with an early guilty plea or $1500 if he fights and loses.
Sloan was also cited for an offence against Luke Keary shortly after halftime. It's also a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge, and he will be up for a second lot of $1000 with an early guilty plea, or $1500 if he fights and loses.
The MRC also confirmed two charges from the day's first game as the Gold Coast Titans clinched their first win of the season over the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland.
Both New Zealand Warriors young gun Jacob Laban, and Gold Coast Titans' star forward David Fifita have been hit with Grade 1 dangerous contact charges and will face fines.
Laban, who was pinged for a 33rd-minute incident on Beau Fermor, will pay $1000 with an early guilty plea or $1500 if he fights and loses given it's a first offence, while Fifita, charged for a 68th-minute incident against Te Maire Martin, already has an offence on his rolling 12-month record and will pay $1800 with an early guilty plea or $2500 if he fights and loses.
All four players charged have until midday (AEST) on Saturday to determine whether they will accept early guilty pleas or proceed to the judiciary, with any potential hearings to be heard at Moore Park on Tuesday evening.
