LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Canterbury faces a heightened risk of losing key players due to a series of disciplinary issues, as NRL athletes strive to maintain their spots in the finals. The stakes are high as players seeking to avoid penalties could find themselves sidelined by prior infractions.
According to NRL regulations, players with previous offenses face additional bans, which can significantly impact their availability for crucial matches. Specifically, if a player has two or more prior offenses, the base penalties for subsequent charges increase by two games. For instance, a grade-two careless high tackle, which typically results in a one-game suspension, could extend to two or three finals matches based on the player's disciplinary history.
Furthermore, players with two or more offenses can no longer accept fines for serious infractions such as shoulder charges, dangerous throws, or crusher tackles, further complicating their situations as they navigate the final weeks of the season.
While the NRL does allow for one additional warning during finals matches, this leniency will not take effect until the following week. As of now, among the 10 teams competing for a spot in the finals heading into round 27, a total of 52 players set to play this weekend bear at least one blemish on their records.