Dolphins suffer double blow, relief for Tigers

The Dolphins have been dealt a blow with Kurt Donoghoe facing up to four weeks on the sidelines after he was hit with a grade 2 careless high tackle charge for a shot on Francis Molo.

Donoghoe was sent to the sin bin on Sunday, while a couple of Tigers stars avoided bans despite spending time in the sin bin.

Donoghoe’s absence means Max Plath will likely line up at hooker for the Dolphins after the bye, with Jeremy Marshall-King hurting his foot in the costly loss to the Dragons.

Donoghoe would have been one of the options to replace him but will now miss three weeks if he takes the early guilty plea or four matches if he fights the charge and loses having accrued his third and subsequent charge.

There’s better news for the Wests Tigers with skipper Api Koroisau not charged despite being placed on report twice and sent to the sin bin for a lifting tackle on Lindsay Collins that Roosters coach Trent Robinson conceded probably didn’t deserve a 10-minute stint off the field.

“It’s obviously a really dangerous tackle,” he said after his 300th game in charge.

“You don’t have to be injured off that because the consequences are really bad of grabbing between the legs and turning them over. I don’t know if it’s 10 minutes or not. That’s me, someone might tell me I’m completely wrong.”

Tigers teammates Adam Doueihi ($750) and John Bateman ($1000) have been offered fines for their respective grade 1 charges, while Nat Butcher and Jaxon Purdue can also escape with fines.