LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Nelson Asofa-Solomona's hopes of playing in the grand final have been dashed after he was found guilty of a Grade 3 careless high tackle at the NRL judiciary.
The Melbourne Storm powerhouse was charged for a tackle on Sydney Roosters' prop Lindsay Collins early in their preliminary final clash, which resulted in Collins being knocked out cold.
Despite being sin-binned for the incident, Asofa-Solomona was hopeful of a downgrade to a Grade 1 charge at a speedy trial on Monday night.
However, the judiciary, led by Geoff Bellew, upheld the Grade 3 charge and handed him a five-match ban, ruling him out of the grand final.
It's a tough blow for Asofa-Solomona and the Storm, who will now have to muster their strength and depth for the upcoming games without their star prop.
But in the unpredictable world of Rugby League, anything can happen, and the Storm will need to rally together and show their fighting spirit in the finals series.