South Sydney captain Sam Burgess has pleaded not guilty to a shoulder charge on Canterbury’s Greg Eastwood.
Burgess was hit with a grade-one shoulder charge by the match review committee, stemming from Friday’s NRL loss to the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium
He will miss two matches if he loses his case at the judiciary on Tuesday night.
Burgess has already received support from rugby league greats Peter Sterling and Andrew Johns after he came under scrutiny for his early hit on Bulldogs forward Eastwood.
Nine Network commentators Sterling and Johns backed the shoulder charge ban but believed Burgess was acting on instinct and merely bracing himself for the eighth-minute tackle on Eastwood.
Burgess will fight the charge in a bid to run out against Brisbane at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
The Broncos sounded like they were preparing for a Rabbitohs side without Burgess on Monday.
“That’s the way the game goes – you can’t shoulder charge,” Brisbane hooker Andrew McCullough said of Burgess’ charge.
“He’s a massive loss for them.”
Meanwhile, Warriors backrower Bodene Thompson is free to play Melbourne on Anzac Day after taking the early guilty plea for an elbow to the head of Canberra’s Aidan Sezer.
Thompson was charged by the NRL match review committee with dangerous contact for the second-half tackle in their 20-8 loss on Saturday at GIO Stadium.
The Warriors forward escaped a match ban for falling over the top of Sezer in a tackle, before his elbow and forearm landed on the head of the Raiders playmaker.
The duad
Guest
L.M.A.O. Judiciary got it right.
DJ01
Guest
That's not a shoulder charge every day of the week. From a Broncos fan.
The Barry
Roar Guru
So much for consistency...
The Barry
Roar Guru
Ok, didn't realise they nabbed Chambers later. Yeah, I thought the same about the consistency but they have stuck with it - and even with some big names like Taumalolo and Burgess. That's usually the test where they start to struggle.
catcat
Roar Rookie
I actually thought the other Burgess should be the one at the judiciary not this one....
eagleJack
Roar Guru
But Chambers was then suspended. I'm actually applauding the consistency shown by the MRC. And then enforced by the Judiciary. When Taupau and AFB were suspended in Round 1 I figured it was going to be the usual tough stance to begin the season. But slowly get forgotten about as the rounds progress. That hasn't been the case. Other codes are cracking down on the shoulder charge too. You might even say rugby is far harsher. It's an instant yellow for a no arms tackle. Or even a red. Plus suspension. League is still just a penalty. I love the shoulder charge. But obviously the data is there to suggest it has to go. And I commend the NRL for being tough on it. Use your arms or you will be suspended.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I thought you didn't get carryover points if you fought the charge?
The Barry
Roar Guru
Why can't you just accept that one of your players did the wrong thing instead of pointing the finger and blaming everyone else. Eastwood was knocked to the ground, he didn't just fall. Once on the ground he appealed to the ref. However, it doesn't matter at all what Eastwood did. Burgess shoulder charged him. It was a pointless shoulder charge, didn't hurt Eastwood and in the context of today's rules was always going to get him a suspension. You should be asking more questions of your most senior player as to why he did something so silly and pointless instead of blaming the victim.
jim sheedy
Guest
Eastwood should get two weeks for falling on the ground, holding his shoulder and calling out to the ref. I agree with the shoulder charge ban but that sort of behaviour from fatty arbuckle does more damage to the game than a shoulder charge.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That's true mate. They have been reasonably consistent although I recall Chambers getting away with one recently. But a poor rule applied consistently is still a poor rule.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
But I applaud the consistency TB.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Couldn't agree more. I understand the risks associated with the shoulder charge but not for that tackle. Even with the shoulder charge ban an on field penalty was sufficient for that. He doesn't need to sit on the sidelines. Not every high tackle receives an automatic two week suspension. Not every lifting tackle receives an automatic two week suspension. Handing out two weeks for hits like Burgess' is a massive knee jerk reaction.
InvisiblePJs
Roar Rookie
I'm not a rugby league expert by any means, but as a casual viewer if that bump is worth 2 weeks, I'd rather watch the netball.... you see more physical contact in a Firebirds v Swifts game
eagleJack
Roar Guru
The downside being he'll now take 70 carry over points from this incident. Not a gamble I'd take considering it was a classic shoulder charge.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I don't get this "he was just bracing himself" defence. Burgess had the opportunity to make a proper tackle but chose not to. Does it matter if he's bracing himself? I don't think there should be anything wrong with that sort of tackle but there is.
Steve
Guest
He'll get 2 weeks whether he fights it or not due to carryover points. No brainer.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Insane to fight a Grade 1. But Manly thanks you. Guess Sam wanted some time off.