Warriors hooker Issac Luke may have just three games left in the NRL after he copped a three game suspension for a lifting tackle on Parramatta’s Dylan Brown.
After being hit with a grade two charge for the incident in Saturday’s controversial 24-22 loss to Parramatta, the former Kiwis international pleaded guilty and then unsuccessfully sought a downgrade at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night
His counsel Daniel Thomas argued it was less serious than Jake Trbojevic’s lifting tackle on Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes which saw the Manly star forward cop a grade one charge but escape suspension.
Thomas attempted to argue that Luke let go of Brown once he realised he was in a dangerous position, while Trbojevic drove his opponent into the ground.
But NRL counsel Peter McGrath successfully argued that Luke lifted Brown high into the air while Trbojevic did not put Hughes in such a precarious position.
The match review committee has been bashed from pillar to post in recent weeks over accusations of inconsistency with some comparing Trbojevic’s and Luke’s tackles to the one which saw Canberra winger Nick Cotric banned for three weeks.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart last weekend said he applauded the the MRC for not banning Trbojevic but said they got Cotric’s punishment horribly wrong.
Despite coming under scrutiny, the judiciary reinforced the MRC’s grading of the Trbojevic and Luke tackles with the three-man panel of Sean Garlick, Mal Cochrane and Tony Puletua taking just nine minutes to hand down their verdict.
Luke is off contract with the Warriors at the end of the year and his most likely destination now appears to be the English Super League.
His suspension is a big blow for the Warriors who are fighting to keep their season alive in 12th spot, two points behind eight-placed Brisbane.
They face big tests against top four contenders Canberra, Manly and the Sydney Roosters in Luke’s absence.
When he returns there will be just three regular season games remaining.
With Nathaniel Roache out for the season with an ACL tear, Karl Lawton will slot into dummy-half against the Raiders in Auckland on Friday.
