The door is ajar for Blaize Talagi to regain his five-eighth spot for the Penrith Panthers after Jack Cogger was sin-binned on Thursday night and faces a lengthy suspension. Cogger raced out of the line to put a shot on Melbourne Storm counterpart Tyran Wishart, but mistimed and hit Wishart flush in the head.
Cogger was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes and will almost certainly cop a charge from the NRL match review committee on Friday. Because the Panthers playmaker has already been suspended twice this year, he could be looking at up to a month on the sidelines.
Jack Cogger is facing a lengthy ban for his third high tackle of the year. Image: Channel 9
If the match review committee deems it a Grade 2 careless high tackle, it would be the third for Cogger this year. He copped a one-game ban for a high tackle in Round 9 and a two-game ban for one in Round 18.
Because both were deemed Grade 2, if he cops another Grade 2 charge on Friday he’ll receive a three-game suspension (with an early guilty plea) under NRL judiciary rules. The ban will likely carry a four-match suspension if unsuccessful at the judiciary.
Jack Cogger raced up and whacked Tyran Wishart in the head. Image: Channel 9
Because there’s only two games remaining in the regular season, Cogger appears likely to be banned for week one of he finals at the very least. It will present Talagi with a golden opportunity to win back his starting spot.
Cogger has been the starting five-eighth since Round 22 after Talagi was sent back to reserve-grade. Ivan Cleary also has the option of using Jack Cole alongside halfback Nathan Cleary, which was the case when Cogger missed the Round 23 game against the Warriors for the birth of his child.
Panthers overcome three sin-binnings to win
The Panthers copped three sin-binnings on Thursday night, but still managed to beat Melbourne 22-14. Liam Martin and Lindsay Smith also spent time in the bin for a professional foul and repeated infringements respectively. Neither will cop a charge from the match review committee.
It was the first time since 1996 the Panthers had three players sin-binned in the same game, while Melbourne also lost Oryn Keeley for 10 minutes for repeated infringements. Panthers coach Cleary felt the call to bin Martin was “really harsh” for obstructing Sua Fa’alogo on a kick chase.
“A professional foul is actually a deliberate act. That wasn’t, obviously,” he said.
