Newcastle’ Chris Randall could miss the first two games of the 2021 NRL season after becoming the second player charged with a crusher tackle from week one of the finals.
The Knights hooker was placed on report for a crusher tackle on South Sydney star Cody Walker in the second half of Sunday’s elimination final.
The 24-year-old has played just seven NRL games but is now facing a two-week suspension for the grade one charge.
An early guilty plea would ordinarily mean he would miss just one week.
However, with 45 carryover points Randall will miss two games unless he successfully appeals the charge at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night.
He is the second player pinged for the dangerous tackling technique from the first week of the finals with Parramatta’s Marata Niukore facing a three-week ban.
The 24-year-old was charged for his tackle on Melbourne’s Tino Fa’asuamaleaui on Saturday night, and the Eels are set to lodge the second-rower’s plea on Monday.
An early guilty plea will mean he misses two games and will not play again this season unless the Eels make the NRL grand final.