The North Queensland Cowboys are grappling with the aftermath of their stunning defeat, as winger Braidon Burns faces a two-match suspension due to a high tackle. Meanwhile, Tyson Frizell has avoided any disciplinary action for the hit that left Cowboys forward Thomas Mikaele injured.
Following the Cowboys' 28-18 loss, coach Todd Payten expressed his frustration over Frizell's lack of a sin-bin for his late tackle on Mikaele, who is now sidelined for six weeks due to a medial ligament injury.
As the Cowboys sought to close the gap on the scoreline, they found themselves down to 12 players when Burns was sent to the bin for a high shot on Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga.
On the morning after the match, the review committee handed Burns a grade-two charge, resulting in his absence in upcoming matches against Wests Tigers and Gold Coast should he plead guilty.
Conversely, Frizell can opt for a $1,000 fine and participate in the Knights' round-two match against Manly.
Payten acknowledged that while Burns deserved the sin-bin, he felt Frizell should have been penalized similarly.
"I can't disagree with the result. It was not intentional," he remarked regarding Burns' situation.
"[But] really disappointed with how the Tom Mikaele incident was handled, considering Kalyn gets up and plays on, and Tom's out for the next six weeks. I'd just like a bit of consistency."
Robert Derby appears poised to fill the gap in the Cowboys' backline, having been named on the bench during their time in Vegas.