St George Illawarra Dragons' second rower Tyrell Fuimaono could become the second Dragon to miss the first five weeks of the NRL season through suspension.
It comes as the NRL's match review committee handed down a shock Grade 3 dangerous contract charge for a hip drop tackle against Parramatta Eels' winger Haze Dunster.
It'll see Fuimaono - who has plenty of prior offences on his record - miss five matches if he takes the early guilty plea, or potentially seven matches if he is to fight the charge and lose.
It's unclear if Fuimaono was ever likely to be part of the Dragons' best 17 for the opening rounds of the season, however, Anthony Griffin's mind has been made up by the match review committee, unless Fuimaono fights the charge and wins, which it would appear he is unlikely to do.
The tackle - commonly regarded as a hip drop - left Parramatta Eels' winger Haze Dunster clutching at his knee.
He was eventually helped off the ground by the trainers and physio, with the club now confirming he will miss the season with an ACL, PCL and MCL injury.
It leaves Parramatta clutching at straws for backline depth, with either Solomone Naikduki or Sean Russell likely to be handed a start.
Fuimaono was likely to be fighting against the likes of Jackson Ford, Josh Kerr, Jack Gosiewski and Billy Burns for a spot on the Dragons' bench in Round 1 before last night's tackle.
He will have until midday tomorrow to advise whether he is accepting the early guilty plea or fighting at the judiciary.