Payne Haas and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui are free to resume their rivalry in the State of Origin decider after being handed fines for their second-half fight on Wednesday night.
The Origin hard men both avoided being charged with striking, and were instead handed the lesser contrary conduct charges.
NSW’s Haas and Queensland’s Fa’asuamaleaui were the only players charged from NSW’s 34-10 win.
Had the forwards been banned, it would have denied the decider one of the great storylines with Queensland coach Wayne Bennett adding even further spice.
Bennett sensationally blamed the media for igniting the fisticuffs on Wednesday night that threatened to send State of Origin back to the 1980s.
The pair were both marched to the sin bin during an explosive second-half all-in melee, with each accused of throwing punches.
It came hours after a newspaper story recalled how Haas and Fa’asuamaleaui clashed and sledged each other during an under-18s Origin game three years ago.
Fa’asuamaleaui’s manager even claimed his charge “sat Haas on his arse”, prompting Bennett to take exception in the bitter aftermath to the Maroons’ 34-10 mauling at the hands of the rampant Blues.
“I just saw the headline he and Payne going for each other,” Bennett said.
“They are young men – 20 years of age. Headlines throw fuel on the fire. I knew deep down there was going to be a blue between the pair of them.
“(If) that’s not a headline today, I don’t believe it happens.
“They would’ve read the paper. It stirs the emotion. They have to be responsible for their actions, I accept that. It didn’t come out of nowhere. It was already brewing from this morning.”
Bennett was asked if he spoke with Fa’asuamaleaui before the game about his fears of a “blue”.
“No. I hoped it would blow over,” he said.
Haas was quick to play down the fight.
“I couldn’t even get punches away,” he told Channel Nine.
“Heaps of boys were holding me back. It was heat of the moment. Tino and I are good mates.
“I just saw red. My grandmother and my mum are probably going to get up me after all this.”