The Penrith Panthers are likely to face a sanction from the NRL after they briefly wound up with 14 players on the field at the same time during Saturday night's win over the Sydney Roosters.
In a game that snapped a five-match losing streak for the men from the foot of the mounains, it was a Scott Sorensen injury which led to the issue for Ivan Cleary's side.
Sorensen appeared to be taken off the field, but no interchange was made officially, with Izack Tago going onto the park.
He was on the field for only a matter of seconds before the mistake was rectified, with Sorensen managing to relocate a dislocated finger and taking his place back in the game.
Tago, who had been demoted to the bench for the game in a surprise selection call on Tuesday, is understood per News Corp to have thrown his interchange card to the ground in a rush to get onto the field.
The Panthers were immediately stripped of that interchange as well as another one for the game, but are likely to face a further financial penalty this week for the mistake.
Sorensen admitted there was a misunderstanding.
"The doctor came acrossโฆthey were thinking I was coming off for an interchange," Sorenson told News Corp.
"That's what they thought was going on. It was a bit of a misunderstanding. Once the finger went back in, I was OK."
Coach Ivan Cleary, meanwhile, who managed the game from the sideline rather than the coaches' box, said it was a mistake.
"It was a mistake," Cleary said during the post-game press conference.
"โSoz' had a dislocated finger, and we thought it must have been broken. He ran to the sideline, and Izack, who has never been on the bench before, I don't think he really knew what to do, so he didn't give his card to someone.
"It was the old trick; โI've just got to go on, so I'll throw it on the ground.'
"It was a rookie error; he'd actually never been on the bench in his life. To be honest with you, I'd never really thought of that.
"It was a balls-up. It cost us two interchanges. We paid for it."
