The NRL Telstra Premiership’s top recruit, Jack Wighton, will not be available to the Rabbitohs until Round 3, with Raider Seb Kris and Rooster Jared Waerea-Hargreaves returning in Round 2.
After Canberra’s loss to the Knights in the elimination final of the previous season, Wighton was given a three-game suspension; the All Stars game will be the first of his suspension.
After that, he won’t be present for South Sydney’s games against the Sea Eagles and Broncos before playing the Roosters again in Round 3.
After the Roosters defeated the Wests Tigers on Round 26, Waerea-Hargreaves was charged with two offenses: dangerous contact and striking.
The seasoned prop was allowed to include the Pacific Championship Tests against New Zealand in his suspension. He will also miss the Roosters’ trip to Las Vegas to play the Broncos.
In addition, Kris’s five-game suspension for a dangerous throw against the Sharks in Round 27 could be applied to Pacific Championship games. He missed three Kiwi Test matches and the Raiders’ final loss to the Knights. He will serve out the remainder of his ban in Round 1 when the Green Machine plays in Newcastle.
Following incidents in Tonga’s third Test loss to England in November of last year, Sea Eagles speedster Toluta’u Koula, Wests Tigers recruit Latu Fainu, and Rabbitohs hooker Siliva Havili have all been suspended for one match.
The three players can serve their suspensions in the 2024 NRL Pre-Season Challenge in February since they were charged by an IRL match review committee.
