Brisbane will defend forward Ben Te’o against a grade-three contact charge which threatens to rub him out of the NRL for four weeks.

A club official said Te’o would plead not guilty after his shoulder charge on Wests Tigers prop Matt Groat last Friday night was referred to the judiciary.

“Ben is the first player to be charged with that particular grading of offence and the club will assist him and do whatever it can on his behalf,” a Broncos official said on Monday.

Te’o was not available to comment on the NRL review panel’s grading of the hit.

Groat was knocked unconscious by the hit in the loss to the Broncos at Allianz Stadium and has already been ruled out of the Tigers’ clash with Penrith this weekend.

Te’o had widely been expected receive a lower grade one charge, following the precedents set earlier this season by Frank Pritchard and Manu Vatuvei when charged for making shoulder contact with the head of an opposition player.

However, Te’o’s contact was deemed to be far worse and despite having no prior offences to his name the back-rower is facing a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

The NRL has said it is comfortable with its rules regarding the shoulder charge despite a growing push for the style of tackle, which is illegal in rugby union, to be banned as dangerous.

South Sydney forward Roy Asotasi was the only other player charged from the weekend’s action, attracting a grade one charge for a careless high tackle on Canterbury’s Aiden Tolman on Friday.

Asotasi will be sidelined for much of the season with a pectoral injury, however he will escape suspension regardless of his plea.