North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater has been slapped with a four-game ban for his hit on Corey Oates during Friday night’s match against the Brisbane Broncos.
Drinkwater could get the ban reduced to three games with an early plea after the shoulder charge left Oates with a fractured jaw.
Oates is booked in for surgery on Monday and could miss up to eight weeks with the injury.
In another blow for the Cowboys, Peta Hiku is also facing a spell on the sidelines for a grade two crusher tackle.
MORE: NRL Round 2: Cowboys coach Todd Payten defends Scott Drinkwater over nasty high tackle
Drinkwater hit with heavy suspension for shoulder charge on Oates
Drinkwater was sin-binned early in the second-half of the match after collecting Oates high in a bid to save a try, with the Brisbane winger suffering a broken jaw in the incident.
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The 25-year-old was deemed lucky to not have been sent off for the incident, but Cowboys coach Todd Payten defended his player post-match.
“The sin-binning I am comfortable with as long as it’s consistent all season long,” Payten said.
“If I look at Scott’s tackle, it has happened really quick, he has come across field and Corey changed direction really late.
“He was trying to stop a try, he had one foot on the deck and he had no intent to make a collision where he got him.
“It was certainly an accident – no intent in the whole thing, the kid is just doing his best to stop the try.
“The sin-binning, it’s really hard to defend with 12 men but we’ve got to limit the damage of that period…in the end, that was the difference.”
Hiku also banned after crusher tackle on Oates
The news gets worse for the Cowboys with Hiku hit with a three-game suspension for a grade two crusher tackle on Oates that occurred before Drinkwater’s hit.
Hiku could get the ban reduced to two weeks with an early plea.
Maika Sivo fined for dangerous contact
Parramatta winger Maika Sivo has been fined $1,500 for making dangerous contact on Braydon Trindall in the first minute of the match against Cronulla.
Sivo can get the fine reduced to $1,000 with an early plea.
