NRL 2023: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves faces monster eight-week ban, Joey Manu injury update

Benji Marshall has labelled Jared Waerea-Hargreaves “a big head” as JWH prepares for a huge suspension, but the news is better for another star Rooster. WATCH AND VOTE

Jared Waerea-Hargreave’s high shot on Api Koroisau

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is facing a massive eight weeks on the sideline after the NRL judiciary whacked the Sydney Roosters enforcer with two separate charges on Sunday.

However, the loss of Waerea-Hargreaves is set to be softened after scans revealed Joey Manu’s hamstring injury wa snot as serious as first thought.

Waerea-Hargreaves will now miss the Roosters’ do or die clash against arch rivals South Sydney on Friday night.

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Waerea-Hargreaves was charged with grade two dangerous contact on Api Koroisau for a hit that made contact with the head of the Wests Tigers hooker in the Roosters’ 32-8 win on Saturday.

That charge has left Waerea-Hargreaves facing three weeks on the sideline with an early plea.

If Waerea-Hargreaves challenges the charge but is unsuccessful at the judiciary, he is facing a four week ban.

The Roosters veteran was also slapped with a grade one striking charge for appearing to headbutt Tigers forward Stefano Utoikamanu in a melee that broke out between the two big men after the hit on Koroisau.

The striking charge carries a three week ban, also with an early plea, but Waerea-Hargreaves could be banned for a month if challenged unsuccessfully at the judiciary.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ high shot on Api Koroisau

Wests Tigers assistant coach Benji Marshall says Waerea-Hargreaves “crossed the line” with the Koroisau hit.

“The ref saw enough to be sin-binned,” Marshall said. “Potentially a send-off. It’s the referee’s job to deal with it.

“It’s hard for Jared, he has a big head. He turns into this beast and demon on the field. He plays on the edge. I thought he crossed the line with the hit.”

Koroisau down-played the contact. “It’s footy, it’s in the refs’ hands and judiciary.”

Waerea-Hargreaves has been fined four times already this year but has escaped without missing games.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson conceded the tackle was late but did not expect any extra scrutiny.

“It was a late challenge,” Robinson said. “It was fiery there at different times. I felt like there were a lot of late challenges.

“Jaz got it wrong with the timing but there was not much to it in the end. It was late, should’ve been penalised and shouldn’t have been done. It was chest, a wild arm.”

On the potential headbutt, Robinson replied; “They were close in that. They came in a couple of times in those occasions. I didn’t see much to it.”

Roosters’ lock Victor Radley missed three games earlier this year for headbutting St George Illawarra prop Blake Lawrie.

Waerea-Hargreaves isn’t the only key enforcer facing a stint on the sideline.

Meanwhile, medical scans have shown injured Sydney Roosters star Joey Manu has a minor hamstring strain and he could play Friday night’s blockbuster against South Sydney.

A minor injury could be a major boost for the Roosters. Manu limped from the field against Wests Tigers on Saturday and was given no chance of being fit for the Accor Stadium game.

Manu underwent scans on Sunday morning which showed only a low grade strain.

There now appears every likelihood Roosters coach Trent Robinson will name Manu in his side on Tuesday before giving the New Zealand-born champion until later this week to conclusively prove his fitness.

Having Manu play would be a massive physical and psychological boost for the Roosters. And the Roosters will also welcome back their fullback and skipper James Tedesco from a concussion lay off.

Asked about Manu, Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary said: “I saw Joey this morning and he looked pretty good. He hadn’t had a scan but he doesn’t think it’s as bad as what they first thought. He could be okay.”

Joseph Manu clutches at his hamstring. Credit: NRL Images

Canberra’s charge to the finals took a hit on Sunday after the match review committee cited Corey Horsburgh for a grade one shoulder charge on Brisbane’s Corey Jensen.

Horsburgh is now likely to miss Canberra’s clash against Cronulla after he was hit with a three week ban for the shoulder charge.

Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs is facing one week on the sideline for collecting Canberra’s Jordan Rapana in the head with his elbow in an ugly off-the-ball incident in Saturday’s 29-18 win against the Raiders.

Rapana was later sinbinned and put on report for a trip on Broncos winger Selwyn Cobbo but is only facing a $3,000 fine for the controversial moment.

Raiders hooker Zac Woolford is also facing a $3,000 fine for a grade one crusher tackle on Brisbane forward Kobe Hetherington.

Luke Keary is also set to be $2,500 out of pocket after the Roosters five-eighth was cited for a grade one dangerous through on Tigers backrower John Bateman.

FELDT AVOIDS PENALTY FOR RAISED FOOT

—Patrick Woods

Kyle Feldt appeared to have kicked Sean O’Sullivan in the face while claiming a bomb in the first half leaving the Dolphin half-back’s chin bloody, but both teams were told to play on.

A minute later Feldt slipped through an O’Sullivan tack to score his 13th try in his past 12 games, extending the Cowboys lead and infuriating the Dolphins defence.

The Billy Slater-esque moment drew the frustration of Fox League presenters James Graham and Greg Alexander at halftime.

“This was a strange one, I thought I was watching Shawn Michaels for a moment there, the band with some sweet chin music,” Graham said.

“He’s caught Sean O’Sullivan right in the teeth. He’s going to need a good dentist when he gets back to Redfern.”

Alexander likened it to a similar incident in the St George Illawarra Dragons game earlier on Friday night.

“It should be a penalty. Now Zac Lomax got kneed in the head from Dallin (Watene-Zelezniak) in the game previous when he was going to take a ball,” Alexander said.

Feldt’s name was absent when the NRL match review committee’s charge sheet was revealed on Saturday morning.

Dolphins forward Joss Kerr was not so lucky, as he faces a 1-2 week ban for a hip drop on Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves faces monster eight-week ban, Joey Manu injury update