LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The Sydney Roosters are seething with their experienced enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, following a series of incidents in their recent victory over the Wests Tigers.
These actions have placed him in grave danger of missing the remainder of the 2023 season.
Waerea-Hargreaves was sin-binned for a late and high hit on Api Koroisau, leaving the Roosters fuming.
To compound matters, he then found himself in further trouble for an alleged headbutt on Stefano Utoikamanu.
Now, the Roosters are bracing themselves for a potential seven-game suspension that would see their influential forward sidelined for the entirety of the NRL finals series.
This would also include their highly anticipated round one clash against Brisbane in Las Vegas in 2024.
With two charges against him stemming from the Tigers match, Waerea-Hargreaves has already taken an early guilty plea for his striking charge, resulting in a three-game ban.
Nevertheless, the Roosters are planning to challenge the severity of Waerea-Hargreaves' grade two dangerous contact charge.
If they are unsuccessful and he loses at the judiciary, the prop could face an additional four-week suspension.
This would be in addition to the three weeks he is already ruled out for, leaving him sidelined for a significant portion of the upcoming season.
There is a glimmer of hope for Waerea-Hargreaves, as if the Roosters manage to have his dangerous contact charge downgraded, he could potentially escape with just a fine for one of his two transgressions.
However, Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall, a former international teammate of Waerea-Hargreaves, did not hold back in his criticism.
Marshall asserted that the Roosters forward "got what he deserved" after being sin-binned for the hit on Koroisau.
The Roosters will now have to navigate a challenging period without one of their key players, and it remains to be seen how they will cope with his absence.
Waerea-Hargreaves' actions have not only put his own future in jeopardy but have also left the Roosters infuriated and facing a significant setback as they approach the business end of the season.