Manly's Steve Matai is poised to front the NRL judiciary - again

Video: IT'S the NRL's most unwanted rap sheet and a record that could spell the end of Manly centre Steve Matai's finals campaign.

IT'S the NRL's most unwanted rap sheet and a record that could spell the end of Manly centre Steve Matai's finals campaign.

If injuries to captain Jamie Lyon, Tony Williams and Joe Galuvao and the report of co-captain Jason King weren't bad enough, the Sea Eagles will be forced to defend a player with the worst judiciary record over the past five years.

Matai was placed on report after he collected Bulldogs winger Sam Perrett high on Friday night.

He is poised to face his 13th charge in five seasons for his swinging arm that left Perrett claiming: "I don't remember a whole lot of the game."

Matai has been sidelined by the NRL match review committee for 20 weeks after 10 guilty verdicts.

"I copped a whack in the head and after that I just remember the game in patches," Perrett said.

"I have a sore jaw, so I am guessing he got me somewhere there. I don't remember the impact, just bits and pieces of the game. I had to play on auto-pilot.

"I had no memory and it was just glimpses. I didn't know he was put on report. I need to see it, but it is never nice to see anyone suspended.

"It was a tough game and I can remember getting squeezed in the wrestle.

"My experience with Manly is they are a tough physical team, and it was no different. I remember getting hit hard and wrestled hard."

While there can be no questioning the intimidation factor Matai brings to the premiers' left edge, his poor track record at the NRL judiciary could sting the Sea Eagles at the worst possible time.

Since the start of 2007, Matai has been charged with 12 offences, including six careless high tackles, two reckless high tackles, two dangerous contact charges, one contrary conduct charge and one striking charge.

That's not including Matai's record at Test level, where the Kiwi centre has two additional blemishes next to his name.

Cronulla captain Paul Gallen and Penrith's Travis Burns are the only other NRL players who come close in terms of the number of charges over the past five seasons. They have 10 charges and eight charges, respectively.

Jamie Lyon

Manly were busy yesterday trying to get to the bottom of injuries to Lyon (calf), Williams (leg) and Galuvao (ankle). Lyon is considered the most serious of the three.

There are fears the co-captain has torn his calf and will not play again this year.

If Lyon and Matai are both ruled out, Toovey will be forced into a major backline re-shuffle, with Dean Whare, Tony Williams and Michael Oldfield all possible solutions.

In a final that threatened to boil over on numerous occasions, Manly co-captain King was also placed on report after catching Bulldogs opposite Aiden Tolman with a high tackle in the first half which sparked a melee.

"It is just part of the game and I will leave it up to the judiciary. They will take it where they need to take it," Tolman said.