Jacob Saifiti of the Newcastle Knights may be looking at a significant suspension after being ejected for a dangerous tackle on Luke Laulilii.
Laulilii was making his debut for the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday when Saifiti charged out of the line and made a high hit, mistiming his tackle and striking the winger with his shoulder.
Although Laulilii was knocked out, he managed to get up and exit the field after replays revealed he had received a direct hit to the head.
Saifiti was sent off in the 13th minute and now awaits the decision from the NRL's match review committee to determine if his season has come to an end.
If he is suspended, it would be a significant loss for the Knights, who are in contention for a top-four finish and rely on Saifiti's leadership on the field.
"He rushes out of the line, there's a lack of duty of care," said referee Adam Gee to Knights captain Kalyn Ponga following the incident.
"Direct, very forceful contact with the shoulder."
"He's on report, off."
With this incident, Saifiti becomes the second player to be sent off in 2026, following Dragons forward Jaydn Su'A, who received a red card in Round 7.