Brisbane lock Patrick Carrigan is facing a maximum two-game NRL ban for his late shot on Newcastle halfback Mitchell Pearce on Thursday.

Carrigan was on Friday hit with a grade-two dangerous contact charge for the 59th-minute hit, which drew the ire of champion halfback Andrew Johns.

The Broncos youngster can reduce his suspension by a match if he takes the early guilty plea, which would result in him missing next week’s clash with Gold Coast.

Teammate Thomas Flegler is also staring at a one-game suspension for dangerous contact on Knights second-rower Sione Mata’utia.

Flegler has been slugged with a grade-one dangerous-contact charge, which normally would escape suspension with an early plea.

However, a prior similar offence increases his loading by 50 per cent, meaning the front-rower would have to fight the charge at the judiciary to face the Titans.

Broncos second-rower Tevita Pangai Junior also escaped sanction for what appeared to be a shoulder charge on David Klemmer in the opening minutes.