Canberra winger Jordan Rapana has accepted a two-match ban for a shoulder charge in Saturday night's All Stars fixture.
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The NRL is set to allow the Maori representative to concurrently serve the grade-one penalty with a one-game suspension incurred for an off-season drink-driving offence, meaning he can return in round three.
Rapana will miss his club's season-opening clashes with Cronulla and North Queensland but is allowed to feature in trial matches against the Sydney Roosters and Manly.
The 32-year-old was cited for a hit on Indigenous second-rower David Fifita while attempting to stop a try in the 13th minute of the Maori team's 16-10 All Stars win at CommBank Stadium.
He was sin-binned later in the first quarter following a similar shot on Jesse Ramien that sparked a scuffle but escaped the wrath of the match review committee for that indiscretion.
Rapana's unavailability further thins Raiders coach Ricky Stuart's backline stocks with promising centre Harley Smith-Shields out for the season due to an ACL injury.
Canberra have regained Nick Cotric from Canterbury but the versatile Bailey Simonsson has switched to Parramatta while co-captain Jarrod Croker is aiming to be fit for round one after stem-cell surgery on his knee.
Exciting 19-year-old Xavier Savage could replace Rapana on the flank.
Australian Associated Press
