'Very lucky': NRLW player escapes ban after hair-pull tackle
Brisbane forward Amber Hall will be free to play this weekend with an early guilty plea on a dangerous contact charge.
Hall came under criticism from St George Illawarra coach Daniel Lacey after an ugly challenge that left Dragons star Isabelle Kelly with a broken ankle in Saturday's 18-4 NRLW win for the Broncos.
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Hall pulled on Kelly's hair before falling awkwardly on the reigning Dally M medallist in a tackle, leaving the 24-year-old screaming in pain.
On Monday the judiciary charged Hall with contrary conduct for the hair pull and dangerous contact for the tackle.
Two of the Broncos biggest NRLW stars are free to play the final round. @kinson88
Ali Brigginshaw and Amber Hall are set to escape suspension with early guilty pleas. #9News pic.twitter.com/SR3PwlrxOa— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) October 12, 2020
Hall will receive a $350 fine and no ban if she takes the early guilty plea for both charges.
Brisbane captain Ali Brigginshaw will also avoid any suspension with an early guilty plea on a grade one dangerous contact charge after attacking the legs of Dragons' halfback Maddie Studdon in mid-air.
Both players will be free to face the Sydney Roosters this weekend should they take the early plea.
Brisbane and the Roosters are already locked in to face each other in the NRLW grand final at ANZ Stadium on October 25 despite one more round-robin round to be played.
Amber Hall very lucky to escape suspension for her tackle and hair-pull on Isabelle Kelly.
Charged twice for the tackle (Contrary Conduct + Dangerous Contact) but she's free to play this weekend. #NRLW pic.twitter.com/HRor0DF7fa— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) October 12, 2020
Dragon Shaylee Bent's season could be over however after the judiciary charged her with a grade one crusher tackle from the Broncos match.
Bent is facing a one-game ban with an early plea and will be suspended for two games if she contests the charge and loses.
The Dragons face the Warriors at ANZ Stadium on Saturday in a dead rubber.
Penrith optimistic despite star’s suspension
Viliame Kikau is irreplaceable but Penrith are confident Kurt Capewell is up to the task against South Sydney in Saturday's preliminary final.
The Fijian second-rower was shattered to be rubbed out of the grand final qualifier for an unruly tackle on Jared Waerea-Hargreaves in week one of the finals.
Kikau has been training with the Panthers' second-string side in opposed sessions, giving halfback Nathan Cleary another perspective to the weaponry they will miss on Saturday.
"He's obviously pretty shattered with the news last week but in saying that he didn't let that affect how he was at training," Cleary said on Monday.
"He was running against us in opposed sessions.
"He was up against me and he was bloody hard to tackle.
"I'm glad he's on our team.
"But he's been really good. He just knows he can't change it now."
It opens the door for former Cronulla second-rower Capewell to come onto the edge with double the amount of NRL finals experience.
The 27-year-old played five finals games for Cronulla over four seasons and came off the bench for Penrith against Sydney Roosters in week one.
However, Penrith's injury toll has been so limited this season Capewell has been unable to crack the side consistently, playing just eight games this year.
His last was against Canterbury in round 20 where he scored a double as a stand in for Kikau.
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