Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen will miss the Sharks’ final NRL game of the regular season after accepting a one-match ban for his crusher tackle on North Queensland’s Scott Bolton.
Gallen opted to take the early guilty plea on Tuesday after being slapped a grade one dangerous contact – unnecessary head/neck pressure charge for the incident in Sunday’s match against the Cowboys.
The suspension rules the NSW and Australian Test lock out for Sunday’s away clash with Canberra.
He will be available for the Sharks’ opening finals encounter next weekend.
“A replacement for Gallen will be named when the Sharks team to play the Raiders is announced by coach Shane Flanagan later today,” the club said in a statement on their website.