JWH cops three-game ban but could be back for the finals if he wins at the judiciary

The Roosters will be without veteran enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves for Friday’s must-win game against the Rabbitohs after the prop forward accepted a three-game ban for striking.

However, the fiery forward will still appear before the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night in a bid to have a dangerous contact charge downgraded that would allow him to return for the preliminary final if the Roosters get that far.

Waerea-Hargreaves took the early guilty plea for a grade 1 striking charge for headbutting Wests Tigers forward Stefano Utoikamanu, which would have resulted in a four-game ban if he’d fought it and lost.

That incident was the result of his original indiscretion when he hit Apisai Koroisau late which led to a grade two charge.

It was a brain snap with 15 minutes to go that has the potential to derail the Roosters’ finals chances, but the club will roll the dice in a bid to have the penalty reduced to a $3000 fine.

Waerea-Hargreaves was sent to the sin bin for the high shot and will miss four matches if he’s found guilty by the judiciary panel, with the enforcer only two games away from joining the 300 club.

If he’s successful, then he will be free to play in week three of the finals, although the Roosters need to beat the Rabbitohs and hope results go their way for them to sneak into the top eight.

Five-eighth Luke Keary accepted a $2500 fine for a dangerous throw from the same game, while the club is optimistic that star centre Joseph Manu could be fit to face the Rabbitohs after he left the field with a hamstring injury in the first half.

There is some good news, with skipper James Tedesco set to return from a head knock against a South Sydney side missing the suspended Latrell Mitchell.