Fijian Drua's inaugural National Rugby Championship campaign has been marred with their second season-ending suspension for an on-field indiscretion.
Inside centre Eroni Vasiteri has been handed a nine-week ban for eye gouging Canberra Vikings hooker Folau Faingaa in last Friday's round five match.
Faingaa immediately reported the incident to the referee during the Vikings' 66-5 win in Canberra.
A second gouging allegation from the game against Drua fullback Apisalome Waqatabu was cleared by the NRC judiciary on Friday.
Vasiteri will join teammate Samu Suguturaga on the sidelines until at least December after the hooker was suspended for 20 weeks over a biting charge in September.
The regular season ends on October 29 ahead of the final two weeks later.
Vasiteri faced a 12-week suspension but his clean prior disciplinary record afforded him a reduction.
Drua had been outright NRC leaders going into last week's round, but after being thrashed by the Vikings have been joined on 15 points by three other clubs.
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