Canterbury’s Frank Pritchard will appear before the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night after pleading not guilty to a careless tackle on Penrith winger David Simmons.
If he loses, Pritchard will miss Saturday’s clash with St George Illawarra.
Newcastle’s Timana Tahu has taken the early guilty plea for a contrary conduct charge for use of the knee on St George Illawarra’s Matt Prior in the NRL season-opener last Thursday and will miss the Knights’ match with Cronulla on Sunday.
Pritchard was charged with a grade-one careless high tackle for a shot which left Simmons concussed in last Saturday night’s win over the Panthers.
The New Zealand international’s charge only carries a base penalty of 75 points, but the Bulldogs’ second-rower has incurred a 50 per cent loading for having a similar charge last season – a high shot on Cronulla five-eighth Wade Graham.
Pritchard also has a further 68 carry-over points remaining from that penalty.