Billy Slater’s Melbourne teammates remain hopeful they will get the chance to try and send the champion fullback out with a NRL grand final victory.

Slater’s plans for the perfect end to his glittering 16-year career rest on the outcome of a judiciary hearing early this week after his shoulder charge from the win over Cronulla on Friday night.

The 35-year-old Slater was charged with a grade-one offence for his hit on Sosaia Feki after he came across in cover to save a try and put the Sharks winger into touch.

Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr said it would be a “massive blow” to lose Slater for the title decider and defended his teammate’s actions.

“What’s he meant to do? He’s just gone in for a tackle,” Addo-Carr told AAP.

“I don’t reckon it’s a shoulder charge or anything, he just went in for the tackle and did his best to stop the try.”

Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster said Slater shouldn’t be given special treatment because of his status as one of the game’s greats, but didn’t believe the hit deserved anything more than a penalty.

“There was no malice – it’s just Bill being a competitor and wanting to do the best for his team and stop the try and that was a tackle he needed to make,” Munster said.

“It would be really disappointing if he doesn’t get to play in his last game but there’s rules with that kind of stuff and no one is bigger than the game.

“I would love to see Bill go out a winner because he’s a champion bloke and a champion player.”

Slater turned in a man of the match performance in the 22-6 win, scoring two first half tries to set up the victory.

Munster questioned why his teammate was retiring when he was still at the top of his game and said he’d tried to talk him into another season.

“I even asked him the other day, ‘Are you sure it’s the right decision, you’re playing some really good football and you don’t look like you’re slowing down?’ but he’s said ‘Nah mate it’s time to hang them up’,” Munster said.

“I told him if he ever wanted to come out of retirement we’d have him back.”