It's the NRL match review committee call that's raised eyebrows in Canberra.
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As Raiders forward Hudson Young returns from an eight-week ban for eye-gouging, New Zealand Warriors hooker Wayde Egan can cop just a one-game ban for the same offence.
Egan was charged with grade-two contrary conduct for his facial on South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell on Friday night.
The 23-year-old rake can consider himself lucky given Young was charged with grade three dangerous contact on Canterbury prop Aiden Tolman last year, as well as another ungraded charge of dangerous contact on Warriors winger Adam Pompey.
In all, Young sat out 13 weeks for the two offences.
Egan will miss just two if he fights the charge and loses. Just one for an early guilty plea.
It's for an incident that occurred in the 65th minute in the Warriors' 40-12 loss to the Rabbitohs at Parramatta Stadium.
Mitchell reacted furiously, with Egan's fingers appearing to dig into Mitchell's eye after he'd been tackled to the ground.
MORE RAIDERS NEWS
But the MRC opted for the lesser charge of contrary conduct - the same as the one handed to North Queensland enforcer Josh McGuire last year.
Mitchell, who was emotional in the sheds after the match, escaped sanction for a high tackle on Warriors winger David Fusitua.
The contact came when Fusitua looked certain to score midway through the first half, only to lose the ball over the line following the collision.
He was later ruled out for the rest of the match with concussion, with the incident neither penalised or put on report.
In other judiciary news, Penrith five-eighth Jarome Luai can escape suspension for his tackle on Melbourne second-rower Felise Kaufusi.
Luai has been slugged with a grade-one dangerous contact charge, but can avoid a ban with an early guilty plea freeing him to face the Rabbitohs next week.
The Raiders have reduced their extended bench by omitting prop Dunamis Lui and halfback Matt Frawley for their big game against Manly at Campbelltown on Sunday. with AAP.
NRL ROUND SIX
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Manly Sea Eagles at Campbelltown Stadium, 4.05pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Jordan Rapana, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Curtis Scott, 5. Nick Cotric, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. George Williams, 8. Josh Papali'i, 9. Josh Hodgson (c), 10. Sia Soliola, 11. Joe Tapine, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Corey Horsburgh. Interchange: 14. Siliva Havili, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Ryan Sutton, 17. Hudson Young. Reserves: 19. Bailey Simonsson, 21. Tom Starling.
Sea Eagles squad: 1. Tom Trbojevic, 2. Tevita Funa, 3. Brad Parker, 4. Brendan Elliot, 5. Reuben Garrick, 6. Dylan Walker, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans, 8. Addin Fonua-Blake, 9. Danny Levi, 10. Taniela Paseka, 11. Joel Thompson, 12. Curtis Sironen, 13. Jake Trbojevic. Interchange: 14. Lachlan Croker, 15. Jack Gosiewski, 16. Sean Keppie, 17. Morgan Boyle. Reserves: 19. Abbas Miski, 20. Haumole Olakau'atu.
David Polkinghorne
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
