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 hit with 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 copped a Grade 2 charge from the NRL match review committee on Friday. Because the Panthers playmaker had already been suspended twice this year, he’s looking at up to a month on the sidelines.
Jack Cogger has copped a lengthy ban for his third high tackle of the year. Image: Channel 9
It’s the third time Cogger has copped a Grade 2 charge this year, which resulted in the big suspension. 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 of those were deemed Grade 2, his third Grade 2 charge on Friday means he’s received a three-game suspension (with an early guilty plea) under NRL judiciary rules. The ban carries a four-match suspension if Cogger challenges at the judiciary and is unsuccessful.
Jack Cogger cops ban for NRL finals
Because there’s only two games remaining in the regular season, Cogger is now banned for week one of the finals. If it becomes a four-game ban with an unsuccessful judiciary appeal, he’d miss two finals games.
It presents 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.
Jack Cogger raced up and whacked Tyran Wishart in the head. Image: Channel 9
Cogger actually copped two charges on Friday morning. The other was a $3000 fine for a Grade 1 dangerous contact incident on Angus Hinchley. Storm forward Josh King was the only other player charged, receiving a $1000 fine for dangerous contact on Moses Leota.
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.
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.
