Manly could face a severe player shortage for next week’s NRL elimination final with Martin Taupau facing a one-game ban for a high tackle charge.
Taupau was hit with a higher-level grade-three charge for his careless high tackle on Parramatta’s Ray Stone, but will escape with a one-game ban if he pleads guilty.
Eels forward Kane Evans also faces a similar fate for a hit on Brad Parker in his team’s win on Friday night, and is now also in line to miss Parramatta’s elimination final.
Evans can at least fight the charge and still only miss one week if he is unsuccessful, while Taupau’s ban will double to two games if he fights it and loses.
Taupau was sin-binned for the hit that left Stone needing to leave the field on a medicab, but he can perhaps consider himself lucky given numerous ex-players called for him to be sent off.
Regardless, even if his absence is for just one match it adds another concern to the Sea Eagles’ finals campaign which has been dismantled in recent weeks.
Taniela Paseka (knee) and Curtis Sironen (calf) became the fifth and sixth players to be injured in the past three weeks alone on Friday night, joining the likes of Tom Trbojevic on the sideline.
Sironen is at least still some chance of returning when Manly play either Brisbane, Wests Tigers or Cronulla next week, but Paseka is expected to be gone for the season.
The Sea Eagles lost their last two games to drop out of the top four, and will now play do-or-die football throughout the finals series beginning next week at Lottoland.
“(Marty’s) experience and his carries (are important),” coach Des Hasler said after the 32-16 loss to the Eels at Bankwest Stadium.
“He’s one of the prominent front-rowers in the game and we haven’t got that position where we’re going to get a (second) chance (in the finals).
“Paseka looks like he’s gone, he’s done a knee.
“And Curtis Sironen is a calf, so we’ll manage that.”
Manly could at least get Jack Gosiewski back from a leg injury next week, but will still be without Trbojevic (pectoral), Joel Thompson (broken arm) and Morgan Boyle (shoulder).
Elsewhere Josh McGuire’s start to next season at North Queensland could be disrupted after he was charged for tripping Melbourne captain Cameron Smith.
It marks the fifth time McGuire has been hit with a contrary conduct offence in the past two years, having just returned from a three-week ban.
The Cowboys forward will miss the opening round of the season unless he fights and beats the charge at the judiciary.
