Las Vegas casualty ward: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves rubbed out of season opener after judiciary push
The Sydney Roosters’ hopes of having Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ suspension shortened have been quashed, with the hard hitting star rubbed out of their Las Vegas season opener.
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Sydney Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been rubbed out of the season opener in Las Vegas after the NRL rejected his bid to make an early return from suspension.
The Kiwi international was able to shave three matches off his seven game ban, received for two separate offences against the Wests Tigers back in round 26 last year.
NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew allowed three matches from New Zealand’s end of season Pacific Championships to be counted towards the ban but denied an application to have next month’s All-Stars game included.
He had already missed the Roosters’ two finals matches plus the final round of the regular season last year.
It means Waerea-Hargreaves will now return to the field in round two against the Manly Sea Eagles.
New Roosters recruit Spencer Leniu is the frontrunner to replace Waerea-Hargreaves in the starting side.
Waerea-Hargreaves is set to hit the 300-game milestone in round three against archrivals South Sydney with the clash to double as Jack Wighton’s debut for the Rabbitohs.
Like Waerea-Hargreaves, Wighton will miss his side’s round one clash at Allegiant Stadium where the Rabbitohs take on the Sea Eagles.
But Wighton will also make an early return after South Sydney successfully applied for the All-Stars game to be counted towards his three-game ban despite retiring from representative football before last year’s Origin series.
Wighton has featured for the Indigenous All Stars side since 2013.
Last week, this masthead revealed that the NSWRL are leaving the door open for Wighton to make a Blues return, amid growing speculation the former Canberra five-eighth could overturn his decision to quit representative football.
Wighton was hit with a three-match suspension after he was found guilty of biting Newcastle’s Tyson Gamble in last year’s elimination final.
Canberra’s Seb Kris will miss the Raiders’ round one clash against the Knights after he too had three matches from last year’s Pacific Championships count towards a five match ban for a dangerous throw in round 27.
He’ll return to take on the Wests Tigers in round two.
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Originally published as Las Vegas casualty ward: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves rubbed out of season opener after judiciary push
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