Sims has four more games to serve of a five-match suspension he incurred while playing for the Cowboys against the Broncos in the first round of the finals last September.

The Fiji international and Country Origin representative, who turns 25 on Monday, pleaded guilty to a grade-three shoulder charge on Brisbane fullback Justin Hodges and is suspended until Newcastle’s game against the Dragons at Hunter Stadium on Easter Saturday, April 4.

The Knights investigated the possibility of playing Sims against Wauchope Blues and Port Macquarie Sharks but were denied.

Newcastle coach Rick Stone indicated the severity of Sims’ grading counted against him, and that the NRL would have allowed him to play had he been guilty of a lesser charge.

‘‘We’ve decided not to worry too much about it. So he’s going to miss the first four games, but he’ll be back for round five,’’ Stone said on Tuesday.

The NRL no longer allows clubs to count pre-season trials or the Auckland Nines as part of a player’s suspension, meaning Sims will remain sidelined for the next two months and must maintain his fitness and conditioning at training.

‘‘Under the rules, if a player is serving a grade-one or grade-two penalty, they can play trials while suspended,’’ an NRL spokesman said.

‘‘But if you are serving any higher-grade penalty, you can’t play trials while suspended. Since Tariq has a grade-three charge, he cannot play until his full sentence is served.’’

Sims, who has joined younger brother Korbin in Newcastle on a two-year deal, said he had no plans to change his aggressive approach.

‘‘If I go into games worrying about that sort of stuff, I’ll be just as useless as being injured. I’d be letting the blokes either side of me down,’’ Sims said on Newcastle’s first day of pre-season training in November.

‘‘I’ve got to make sure I keep my physical side of the game, but also controlled aggression is probably the best way to describe how I need to start playing some football for a little bit.’’

Newcastle’s game against the Sharks and Blues, who will play two quarters each, will be played at Lank Bain Complex at Wauchope because Port Macquarie Regional Stadium will be hosting the Junior State Cup touch tournament that weekend.

Stone indicated he would select only a handful of senior players to bolster a team of fringe first-graders and second-tier squad members, saving his full-strength side for their only NRL trial against the Raiders at Queanbeyan on February 21.

Players who took part  in the Auckland Nines last weekend and those involved in the All Stars game at Robina on February 13 – Beau Scott, Jeremy Smith and Dane Gagai – would not be considered for the trial at Wauchope.

‘‘We’re still sorting that out, but it will probably be blokes at the back end of our squad from 15 to around 35,’’ Stone said.

 ‘‘There might be a few established first-graders around the forwards, but we’re still yet to decide who they’re going to be.’’

The Knights will play National Youth Cup and NSW Cup trials against the Bulldogs at Belmore on Saturday.