Preston charged over Hastings hip drop, Cowboys to get rep star back, Eels in disarray – Beragampengetahuan

Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien is set to hand Adam Clune his first NRL appearance of the season with Jackson Hastings set to miss the rest of the year with a syndesmosis injury.

Clune has not been played at NRL level since the final round of last year but is set to be parachuted into the No.7 jersey after Hastings injured his ankle during Sunday’s 42-6 win over Canterbury.

Hastings’ season looks set to be ended early by a hip-drop tackle for the second year in a row with Bulldogs forward Jacob Preston charged over the incident.

He is undergoing scans on Monday with the Knights fearing he’s suffered significant damage while Preston is facing a ban of 2-3 matches after being charged with grade-three dangerous contact.

Clune made a return from injury in the NSW Cup on the weekend and O’Brien said he was confident he could step up for Sunday’s crunch match with South Sydney at McDonald Jones Stadium. 

Jackson Hastings. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

Preston was sin-binned for a similar hip-drop tackle on South Sydney’s Izaac Thompson earlier this season but controversially escaped sanction from the match review committee on that occasion.

The incident continued Hastings’ unlucky run of form with hip-drop tackles; he missed the end of last season after Brisbane forward Patrick Carrigan broke his fibula with a similar shot.

The Knights are likely to get centre Bradman Best back after he missed the emphatic win over Canterbury with a groin problem. 

Meanwhile, North Queensland are set to welcome back Jeremiah Nanai from a shoulder injury for Thursday’s crucial clash with Cronulla at QCB Stadium. 

Apart from Preston, 10 other players were charged with offences from Round 24 but can all avoid suspension by paying fines. 

Dolphins forward Ray Stone (high tackle), Titans star David Fifita (shoulder charge) and Raiders veteran Jordan Rapana (tripping) run the risk of a two-game ban if they challenge the judiciary instead of copping a $3000 fine. 

Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak ($1000-$1500 for dangerous contact), Tigers forward Alex Seyfarth ($750-$1000 for a high tackle), Rabbitohs duo Lachlan Ilias ($1000-$1500 for tripping) and Damien Cook ($750-$1000 for a dangerous throw), Eels prop Wiremu Greig ($1000-$1500 for dangerous contact), Raiders centre Matt Timoko ($750-$1000 for a high tackle) and Manly rookie Dean Matterson ($1000-$1500  for a high tackle).

Parramatta will be without halfback Mitchell Moses for the rest of the year with a fractured eye socket.

Daejarn Asi will switch to the halves from centre with Maika Sivo returning from suspension on the wing and Bailey Simonsson shuffling in a spot. Front-rower Reagan Campbell-Gillard also is back from a ban but Shaun Lane (elbow) is not yet right to return.

Veteran forward Andrew Davey also failed an HIA in the loss to the Broncos.

“It makes it tough but we are not giving up,” coach Brad Arthur said. “We are going to keep fighting until it is over. We have got two games and a bye. We will just worry about next week. There was a bit of carnage there with injuries but we get (prop) Reagan (Campbell-Gillard) and (winger) Maika (Sivo) back next week.

“We will just fight on. This team has been fighting all year and we will continue to fight.”