Canterbury Bulldogs second-rower Jacob Preston could only have a single game left in his rookie season after being charged for a hip drop tackle on Jackson Hastings during yesterday's heavy loss to the Newcastle Knights.
Preston has been slapped with a Grade 3 dangerous contact charge for the tackle, and while it's his first offence on a rolling 12-month record maintained for each player by the NRL, the Bulldogs second-rower is facing two games on the sideline with an early guilty plea, or three if he rolls the dice and heads to the judiciary.
Should he receive a third match, that would take him to the end of the regular season and rule him ineligible to play again this season.
The ban could also impact his claims over the Rookie of the Year award.
The ban comes after Knights' coach Adam O'Brien confirmed Hastings wasn't in a good way after the tackle.
"It's not looking good, he's in a boot," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said after the game.
"They're talking it's his syndesmosis. He'll get scans tomorrow. Sometimes you're just trying to bring a guy down. I'm naturally disappointed that [the tackle] has caused the guy an injury."
The NRL's match review committee handed out a further two charges on Monday morning, with Jordan Rapana avoiding a suspension for tripping, and Matthew Timoko also fined.
Rapana was handed a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge for a 33rd-minute incident with the returning Reimis Smith. It being a third and subsequent offence on his rolling 12-month record means he will pay $3000, or risk two matches if he contests the charge at the judiciary.
Timoko, on the other hand, will only pay $750 for a Grade 1 careless high tackle on Young Tonumaipea at the back end of the loss to the Storm. His three-year incident-free record gains him a 25 per cent discount, and the fine will only be bumped up to $1000 if he loses the contest at the judiciary.
Preston, Rapana and Timoko all have until midday (AEST) on Tuesday to determine whether they will accept early guilty pleas or head to the judiciary.