McGuire takes early plea, free for Origin

Queensland forward Josh McGuire is free to play in State of Origin III after accepting the early guilty plea on Monday for his dangerous throw on Melbourne’s Dale Finucane.

The NRL match review committee stung the Brisbane prop with a grade one dangerous throw for his tackle on Finucane in the penultimate minute of the Broncos’ capitulation to the Storm on Friday night.

But he escaped sanction after taking the early plea on Monday, freeing him for the Maroons’ dead rubber game in Sydney on Wednesday week, and leaving him with 93 carryover points.

Earlier on Monday, Raiders prop Luke Bateman faces a week on the sidelines after being charged by the MRC for his crusher tackle on Newcastle forward Daniel Saifiti.

Bateman copped a grade one dangerous contact charge, and will have to successfully plead his case at the NRL judiciary if he is to play in the Raiders’ fixture against North Queensland on Sunday.

Canberra teammate Kurt Baptiste (grade one dangerous throw) and Wests Tigers forward Josh Aloai (grade one tripping) can also escape suspensions with guilty pleas.

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