Storm's Vunivalu faces ban for leg pull

Melbourne flyer Suliasi Vunivalu is set to be banned for one NRL match for dangerously pulling the leg of Canterbury fullback Nick Meaney.

Suliasi Vunivalu

Canterbury's Nick Meaney takes the ball under pressure from Melbourne's Suliasi Vunivalu. (AAP)

Star winger Suliasi Vunivalu will miss Melbourne's trip to North Queensland unless he can beat a dangerous contact charge at the NRL judiciary.

Vunivalu was on Monday charged with a grade-two offence for a leg pull on Canterbury fullback Nick Meaney early in Sunday's narrow win over the Bulldogs.

Meaney got up gingerly but the incident was not penalised by on-field officials, before Vunivalu was picked up by the match review committee.

The Fijian will miss just one match if he pleads guilty to the charge.

But if he contests the charge at the judiciary, he would risk sitting out the Storm's grand final rematch against the Sydney Roosters in round six.

Meanwhile, Canterbury forward Ofahiki Ogden was charged for dangerous contact on Storm centre Will Chambers but will escape a ban with a guilty plea.

Both players have until midday on Tuesday to respond to the charges.

Brisbane forward Tevita Pangai Junior will miss two games after taking the early guilty plea for his late shot on Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk.

Gold Coast forward Moeaki Fotuaika will also miss a match after taking the early guilty plea for tackling airborne Warriors halfback Blake Green.

Warriors hooker Jazz Tevaga will head to the judiciary on Tuesday night to challenge his dangerous contact charge on Titans prop Shannon Boyd.

Tevaga faced a one-game ban if he took the early guilty plea, and will still finish the one-game suspension should he fail to overturn the charge.


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Source: AAP



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