Api Koroisau\u2019s hopes of a State of Origin recall have suffered a significant blow.<\/p>\n
The Wests Tigers co-captain faces three weeks on the sidelines after he was charged by the match review committee for a hip-drop tackle during Thursday\u2019s win over the Raiders.<\/p>\n
Koroisau was sent to the sin bin for the tackle in the 25th minute on Canberra forward Noah Martin, who played through the pain but was eventually forced off early in the second half and didn\u2019t return.<\/p>\n
The superstar dummy-half had already been charged three times this year and is now set to miss the next three games if he takes the early guilty plea to his grade 2 dangerous contact charge, with Koroisau to miss four matches if he fights and loses at the judiciary.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a cruel blow for the resurgent Tigers given their dynamic dummy-half has played a key role in their rapid rise under coach Benji Marshall this season.<\/p>\n
The Tigers are level with Penrith at the top of the table following Thursday\u2019s win. <\/p>\n
Koroisau will miss matches against the Sharks, Storm and Sea Eagles, with the ban coming at the worst possible time for his State of Origin hopes, with the Blues team for the opener on May 27 to be named two days after the Manly clash.<\/p>\n
He has played four games for the Blues and last represented his state in the 2023 series opener. <\/p>\n
Marshall took aim at the officiating after the match, questioning what his star player was supposed to do in that situation. <\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, look, it\u2019s probably not a good time, but who cares?\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inconsistency of the referees is annoying me at the moment to be honest. I know we won but some of the calls \u2026 it\u2019s hard to understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Api\u2019s case with the sin bin, I don\u2019t know what he\u2019s supposed to do in that situation. He\u2019s making a cover tackle from behind, of course he\u2019s going to land on his legs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are heaps of things that didn\u2019t go our way. I just think the fans deserve some consistency around the interpretations of the rules, and we\u2019re not getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tristan Hope is one of the leading options to replace Koroisau, while Jock Madden could shift to the hooking role on the back of his brilliant form while filling in for Jarome Luai in the halves.<\/p>\n
Fonua Pole and Corey Horsburgh were offered fines for grade 1 offences out of that match. <\/p>\n