Burleigh Bears Intrust Super Cup players Sami Sauiluma, Jacob Hind and Sam Coster facing bans

Burleigh’s plans for the ever-tough trip to Townsville have been thrown into disarray after three of their Intrust Super Cup players were charged by the match review panel following their 32-4 win over Tweed.

BURLEIGH’S plans for the ever-tough trip to Townsville have been thrown into disarray after three of their Intrust Super Cup players were charged by the match review panel following their 32-4 win over Tweed.

Seagulls coach Ben Woolf was clearly unhappy with an incident involving Bears centre Sami Sauiluma that knocked out Treymain Spry in the 32nd minute of the game on Sunday, labelling it “pretty cheap.”

The MRP appear to have taken a similar view, referring Sauiluma straight to the judiciary on a grade two dangerous contact with the head or neck charge.

Sami Sauiluma. Picture: SMP Images

The 28-year-old’s judiciary case is expected to be heard on Thursday night.

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Given he has prior offences of dangerous contact, the early indications are Sauiluma could be facing a ban of three or more weeks unless Burleigh can successfully plead their case for the charge to be overturned or downgraded.

Jacob Hind could also face a stint on the sidelines. Picture: SMP Images

Making matters worse, second-rower Jacob Hind and lock Sam Coster were both slapped with grade one dangerous contact offences, also from the first half against Tweed.

Burleigh are expected to take the early guilty plea on both of those counts to limit their suspensions to one week.

Sam Coster. Picture: SMP Images

If they contest Coster’s case and are unsuccessful, his ban will be bumped up to two weeks.

Burleigh are third on the ISC ladder after big back-to-back wins, with the Blackhawks one spot behind them.

The Bears do have ISC-hardened players up their sleeve to call on for the Round 4 showdown at least, with Josh Berkers, Apiata Noema and Jeff Lynch a possible trio to replace Sauiluma, Hind and Coster respectively.