Raiders star Jack Wighton has been slapped with a two-game ban after being charged with ‘dangerous contact’ for his hit on Jackson Hastings.
Wighton was put on report twice against the Knights and has also been fined $1800 for a ‘careless’ high tackle on Lachie Miller.
Wighton will miss Friday’s huge clash with reigning premiers Penrith and the following week’s game against the Broncos after taking the early guilty plea and accepting the suspension.
Wighton was sent to the sin bin in the 24-14 loss to Newcastle over the 49th minute shot on Hastings after the halfback put up a kick.
The playmaker was lucky to avoid being binned over the earlier incident involving Miller — with both Fox League’s Corey Parker and Greg Alexander believing it deserved a 10-minute spell.
“He got it awfully wrong, there was intent, he should be in the bin for 10 minutes, it was high and the rules stipulate if that is the case you are spending some time on the sidelines,” Parker said.
“Jack was only put on report, only moments after that he puts on a try.
“The fact that Lachie Miller bounced back to his feet so quickly it certainly helped Jack… it is 10 in the bin every week.”
“Looking at what’s happened this weekend, if there’s force at the head you have to be leaving the field,” Alexander said.
Both moments involving Wighton will be analysed by the Match Review Committee and it appears likely he’ll spend some time on the sideline, but Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is hopeful he won’t.
“It doesn’t really matter what I think but I think young Hastings got up pretty quick so fortunately there was no problem there, which I think they take into account,” Stuart said.
“He was falling when Jack came in.
“He (Wighton) was just trying to change the momentum of play and get a bit of energy in a desperate period of play. Trying to change the momentum for the team.”
Asked whether he feared he would be suspended, Wighton insisted there was no malice in his actions but some controversial bans handed down in recent weeks, including Dolphins enforcer Felise Kaufusi’s four-match ban, appeared to be weighing on his mind.
“After some of the suspensions lately, I guess you’ve always gotta have fears,” Wighton told Fox League’s Jake Duke post-match.
