Cameron Munster, the five-eighth for the Melbourne Storm, will not face suspension after the NRL Match Review Committee revised the charge against him for dangerous contact.
Originally, Munster was issued a grade two charge for a low tackle on Taniela Paseka of the Manly Sea Eagles during Saturday’s match. However, following the receipt of new information, the charge was reclassified to a grade one.
The Storm are scheduled for a bye in round 24 and will then take on the Penrith Panthers in round 25.
Initially, Munster faced a potential one-week suspension, which could extend to two weeks if he contested the charge unsuccessfully, due to the nature of the tackle aimed at Paseka’s knees.
During the incident, Munster was the third player involved in the tackle, which resulted in Paseka experiencing significant discomfort and requiring assistance off the field. The initial classification of the tackle led to a grade two dangerous contact charge being issued against Munster.
However, the match review committee reconsidered the incident after receiving a medical report indicating that Paseka’s injury might not be as severe as initially thought. The NRL released a statement explaining that this new information justified the downgrade of the charge, allowing Munster to accept a $750 fine for his guilty plea.
The NRL’s statement elaborated that when determining the initial grading for Munster’s dangerous contact charge, the committee took into account the medical report provided by the Sea Eagles, which contained preliminary details regarding Paseka’s injury. Following an updated report that significantly changed the assessment of the injury, the committee was able to amend the charge.
As per Rule 61 of the NRL Judiciary Code, the match review committee is permitted to adjust the grading based on additional expert or medical information. After careful review, they issued Munster an amended notice indicating the new grade one charge.
This match was Munster’s return from a knee injury, contributing to the Storm’s narrow playoff aspirations. The team needs to win their remaining three matches, starting with the upcoming game against Penrith at AAMI Park, while also relying on favorable outcomes in other games to secure a finals spot.
