Knights prop Ngatokotoru Arakua could become the club's first NRLW player to be suspended after being referred straight to the judiciary for a dangerous throw in the 28-12 loss to the Roosters.
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Arakua was twice put on report in the space of a minute towards the end of the first half at the SCG on Saturday, once for making contact with the head and then the dangerous throw.
She was formally charged on Sunday for the later, a tackle where she lifted Roosters back-rower Joseph Keilee above the horizontal three minutes before halftime.
Knights coach Casey Bromilow said on Sunday he was yet to review the incident and the club hadn't decided how Arakua would plea.
He said after the game watching it live he thought it was "a great rugby league tackle". "It's one of those ones where, as kids, you're taught to get under the ball and drive ... you do that tackle probably 99 other times and it's play on," he said.
Anything more than a one-week suspension would mean Arakua, whose judiciary hearing will be held Tuesday night, has likely played her last game this season given the Knights are now only a slim hope of qualifying for the finals with two games left to play.
Arakua, a Kiwi, was sin-binned for the tackle and while she was off the field the Roosters scored two tries to extend their lead to 18-6.
The Knights had trailed by only four points at halftime, having hit back after the Roosters shot to a 10-0 lead early in the game with Romy Teitzel scoring from close range in the 24th minute.
But less than two minutes into the second half, the Knights' right edge was caught short and Roosters winger Brydie Parker, of Muswellbrook, scored in the corner. The home side extended their lead to 18-6 a few minutes later when back-rower Olivia Kernick charged down one of Knights five-eighth Kirra Dibb's kicks to score her side's fourth try.
The Knights didn't give up with prop Annetta Nu'uausala powering over the line in the 51st minute to bring the deficit back to 18-12.
But the result was all but sealed when the Roosters made it 24-12 after Keilee Joseph scored with nine minutes left to play. Winger Jessica Sergis put the icing on the cake a few minutes later with a try down the right flank.
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There are two games left in the five-round season and while the Knights are highly unlikely to be able to make top four, captain Romy Teitzel said the players wouldn't give up on making the finals
"There's two more chances to win those game and that's exactly what we'll look forward to," Teitzel said.
"Very disappointing, obviously everyone feels it but that's rugby league. We had plenty of opportunities to captailize [in the game] but unfortunately we couldn't."
The Knights played a new set of halves following a reshuffle prior to the game with Kirra Dibb elevated from the bench to five-eighth and Charntay Poko shifting from lock to play halfback. Bromilow said he felt his side's strength against the Roosters was in their forwards and the changes were made to play with an "extra middle".
The halves kicked well apart from Dibb's effort that was charged down but the Roosters looked the better side for much of the match.
The home side completed at only 52 per cent in the first half and didn't put in a single kick, but they made plenty of metres punching in behind the ruck off quick play the balls. Parker opened the scoring for the Roosters in the seventh minute and was involved again five minutes later but turned the ball inside for centre Isabelle Kelly to score their second.
The Knights play the Dragons at home before the men's NRL match next Sunday.
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