The Brisbane Broncos have announced that Patrick Carrigan has chosen to accept an early guilty plea for a high tackle during Saturday's match against the North Queensland Cowboys.
This incident, which occurred in the first half, put Brisbane in a challenging position regarding whether to contest the decision, but the decision was made to accept the guilty plea.
As a result, the tackle on Cowboys' centre Tom Chester, marking Carrigan's second offence in a 12-month period, will lead to a two-match suspension rather than risking a third by appealing at the judiciary.
Carrigan will be absent from this weekend's game against the Wests Tigers, as well as the Anzac Day Eve match in Round 8 against the Canterbury Bulldogs, adding to Brisbane's ongoing challenges with player fitness.
The Broncos will approach their upcoming match against the Wests Tigers as underdogs, which is uncommon for them, especially considering they are also missing Ben Hunt, Blake Mozer, and Cory Paix at hooker, alongside Billy Walters, who has yet to appear this season, and the uncertainty surrounding Adam Reynolds' return.
Additionally, Benjamin Te Kura has been granted permission to pursue an NFL opportunity, while injured players Delouise Hoeter, Reece Walsh, and Grant Anderson are also out.
This leaves the Tigers, who are off to a strong start in 2026, as heavy favourites for their meeting at Campbelltown, as they aim to keep pace with the Panthers atop the standings.
Brisbane is expected to give hooker Cameron Bukowski his debut while expanding Xavier Willison's role in the middle, along with increased responsibilities anticipated for players like Ben Talty, Jaiyden Hunt, and Va'a Semu in the coming weeks.