Tigers centre Brent Naden is facing a month on the sidelines, after being handed a grade three dangerous throw charge by the NRL judiciary.
The former Bulldog, who switched teams only a few weeks’ ago, was sent off straight away after a tackle on Jake Trbojevic went wrong, leaving the Manly lock to fall headfirst into the turf at Campbelltown Stadium.
If Naden enters an early guilty plea, he will receive a four week ban – the same punishment that was handed down to Manly’s Karl Lawton against Souths, after a similar tackle on Origin star Cameron Murray earlier this season.
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It was such a bad tackle that even the most ardent opponents of the sin bin or send-off couldn’t defend it – although Trbojevic did describe it as “unlucky” after the game.
“It wasn’t too bad, I think naturally, trying to sort of find the ground when you’re running to get up and try and play it quick, so it was sort of a bit unlucky for Brent Naden, I reckon,” he told Fox League.
“I know he didn’t mean it, there was no malice in it, he was very sorry.”
Tigers interim coach Brett Kimmorley said after the game that Naden was doing OK after the incident.
“We’re by their side through the good and the bad,” he said.
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“The good they can handle on their own, the bad? We’ve got to make sure we’re here with them.
“That’s something I want to be as a coach.”
Naden, 26, began his NRL career with the Panthers before joining Canterbury at the start of this season. He played just eight games in the blue and white before being released to join the Tigers last month.
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