Latrell Mitchell wasn't happy with Wayde Egan. Photo / Photosport
Latrell Mitchell wasn't happy with Wayde Egan. Photo / Photosport
The Warriors could be without several starters for next week's clash with the Melbourne Storm, with multiple injuries and a citing hampering their already thin squad.
Hooker Wayde Egan is set for a trip to the NRL judiciary, after being charged with contrary conduct during their 40-12 defeat to the South Sydney Rabbitohs last night.
Egan came under scrutiny after an incident with Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell, with his hand near Mitchell's eyes during a tackle, leading to questions of eye-gouging from commentators.
The incident which got Wayde Egan charged by the judiciary. Photo / Twitter
However, Warriors coach Stephen Kearney defended Egan's character in the post-match press conference, and the judiciary committee didn't find any evidence of eye-gouging, though they did deem the incident to be worthy of a grade two contrary conduct charge.
Egan is facing a one-match ban if he enters an early guilty plea, or two matches on the sidelines if he unsuccessfully challenges the ban.
Latrell Mitchell wasn't happy with Wayde Egan. Photo / Photosport
The Warriors had their own cause for complaint during the match, with star winger David Fusitu'a failing to see out the match in his return, after copping a high shot from Mitchell when diving for the line in the first half.
The resulting wait for Fusitu'a to get a head injury assessment – which he later failed, not returning to the match, meant that the Warriors couldn't review the incident, meaning a potential penalty try resulted in merely a Rabbitohs scrum.
Post-match, Kearney said he was "frustrated" and "disappointed" in his team's effort but had special mention for the referees.
"I thought there were a few [tough] decisions tonight - I don't think there was a six again in the last 30 minutes - David's [incident], there was a number of them," he said.
"When you're on the end of a belting it's a bit hard to point fingers but we just could not get anything. And like I said, we created opportunities for ourselves and we didn't execute well when we needed to, but jeez."
Fusitu'a may join Egan on the sideline next week, with Kearney revealing that he wasn't "in a good way" after failing the head injury assessment.
"I didn't think you could hit the head of a player, the back of the head too," he added. "But I don't want to sound like I'm blaming the officiating because it was one minor issue of a number of issues."
The high shot on David Fusitu'a. Photo / Twitter
Prop Lachlan Burr is also in doubt for upcoming fixtures, suffering a head knock nine minutes into the clash against the Rabbitohs, after having just recently returned from a concussion that sidelined him for two weeks. Back rower Eliesa Katoa was also hobbled with an ankle injury.
Kearney acknowledged his side is running low on available players.
"We're lucky to get 13 on 13 when we're doing our opposed sessions.
"It was all mounting up, but that's the game isn't it."
Kearney added the strain of being away from family was becoming an increasing challenge for the squad, and he was hopeful arrangements can be made for family members to visit in upcoming weeks.
"We've got guys in the group who've got families with young kids, we're really hopeful they're coming out of a very clean bubble in New Zealand and hopefully allowed to join our bubble which is very clean also, we've been in lockdown in Terrigal.
"Hopefully the Federal Government or powers that be give the opportunity for families with young kids to be able to join us. We're very hopeful that may happen in the near future, it's a challenge."
