Queensland regular Felise Kaufusi is set to be rubbed out of State of Origin I as he faces a three-game ban.
Dolphins second-rower Kaufusi was on Sunday charged with a grade-two careless high tackle for a high shot on Melbourne’s Christian Welch.
With his previous judiciary record, the best he can accept is a three-match ban with an early guilty plea.
It means the only way he will be able to play in the May 31 Origin series opener is if he successfully contests the charge at the judiciary on Tuesday night.
However, that would risk a fourth match on the sidelines if unsuccessful, meaning he would miss Game II of the Origin series as well.
Kaufusi was a certainty to be named in the Maroons’ team on Monday morning for Game 1 in Adelaide before being sin-binned for his shot on Welch early in the Dolphins’ 24-16 loss to Melbourne on Saturday.
His looming ban will likely open the door for David Fifita to return to the Maroons team either on the bench or in the second row.
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett pleaded Kaufusi’s case following the loss to the Storm.
Bennett felt Kaufusi’s high shot was “no big deal” as Welch was not concussed and did not leave the field.
He pointed to the $1800 fine handed down to Penrith and NSW No.6 Jarome Luai for pushing a touch judge on Thursday night in the Panthers 15-4 win over Brisbane.
“He got a fine, didn’t he?
“If you look like being in Origin you are a real good chance of getting a fine or not guilty,” Bennett said.
Bennett was asked if he believed a fine should be sufficient in this instance, for a shot he said wasn’t vicious or malicious.
“I would say for that. If he is charged it would be no more than that,” Bennett said.
Kaufusi’s former coach Craig Bellamy was diplomatic when asked about the hit.
“I don’t know whether he would do the same thing if he had his time over again,” Bellamy said.
“The sunshine up here mightn’t be so good for him. It might make him more aggressive,” he grinned
“He seems to be on the angry pills, but I can’t remember having to pull him back too far with us.
“He was always an aggressive player, especially defensively. You want that out of your players but there has got to be a level where you can’t go above. Perhaps he has stepped over that a couple of times this year.”
Kaufusi’s ban marks his second lengthy suspension of the season, after also copping four games for a late shot on Newcastle’s Jackson Hastings earlier in the year.
Fellow Dolphins back-rower Kenny Bromwich was also charged, for contact on former Storm teammate Nick Meaney, but can escape with an $1800 fine.
© AAP 2023
