Joey Leilua escapes further suspension, Sione Mata’utia to miss a week

SOUTHS forward Paul Carter has escaped suspension after succesfully having his dangerous contact charge downgraded.

Roosters vs Souths

GOOD Friday could have been so, so bad for South Sydney.

Having already lost superstar Sam Burgess to a neck injury, the Bunnies would have dreaded losing workhorse backrower Paul Carter to suspension ahead of the blockbuster with the giant Bulldogs pack.

But Carter succeeded in having his cannon-ball tackle downgraded at the NRL judiciary, which paved the way for him to take his place in the ANZ Stadium showdown.

While Carter doesn’t carry the same aura as his English teammate, it won’t be lost on Dessie and his Dogs how he has started the season in red-hot form, belting blokes in attack, and making over 50 tackles against the Dragons in the SCG slush.

As soon as Carter was placed on report for diving into the left knee of Dragons’ prop Mike Cooper on Sunday, he knew he could be a chance to miss the Canterbury clash.

He pleaded guilty, but needed the charge reduced to a grade one.

“When I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play, I was pretty shattered,’’ Carter said last night.

“So to get the result is really pleasing, and I can’t wait to get out there.’’

Nobody likes cannon-ball tackles, and Carter’s effort on Cooper was definitely cringeworthy. NRL counsel Peter McGrath argued it deserved to be a grade two because of the ‘’unacceptable risk of injury’’ it posed, and the contact at the front of the knee increased the chance of ‘’hyper-extension’’.

The two comparable grade one tackles - Josh Papalii on Feleti Mateo in 2014, and Jordan Rapana’s effort on Cameron Munster during a trial last year - did not involve the front of the knee, nor players ‘’launching’’ themselves from a few metres away.

Nick Ghabar, the NRL clubs’ lawyer of choice when it comes to judiciary hearings - he helped Canterbury’s David Klemmer beat a contrary conduct charge just seven days earlier - said Carter had made contact with Cooper’s thigh, before he slipped down the leg.

“He doesn’t twist, he doesn’t contort, he doesn’t put pressure on the knee,’’ Ghabar said.

Souths coach Michael Maguire said it was great to have Carter available, and again shot down any faint hope of a miracle Burgess return.

Earlier in the night, Canberra’s Joey Leilua avoided penalty for ‘’crow pecking’’ the Sydney Roosters Dylan Napa, and will be free to return Monday week against the Dogs at Belmore Oval, the suburban ground he grew up near.

But Newcastle’s Sione Mata’utia was found guilty of a lifting tackle on Shaun Fensom, meaning he will miss the Easter Monday clash against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland.

Originally published as Joey Leilua escapes further suspension, Sione Mata’utia to miss a week