England international facing hefty ban after NRL charge

England international Kai Pearce-Paul could be looking at a hefty ban following Newcastle Knights’ round two win over the Dolphins. Newcastle claimed their second win of the new NRL season on Thursday with a 26-12 win over the Queensland outfit at the McDonald Jones Stadium.

It was a result that saw the club showcase their early credentials and Pearce-Paul had a key role to play. However, the former Wigan Warriors man has now been sanctioned with a Grade 2 shoulder charge by the NRL Match Review Committee.

The charge relates to a high tackle on Daniel Safiti that initially went unpunished by referee Gerard Sutton before a penalty was given and Pearce-Paul was sent to the sin-bin. Safiti remained on the field without having to undergo a HIA, but the incident was placed on report and the Englishman has now been cited.

Pearce-Paul has the opportunity to appeal the charge and he has until Monday to enter a plea one way or the other. Should he accept the sanction and take the punishment on the chin, he will be looking at a two-game ban.

Should he opt to contest it and lose the case, though, that ban will be upgraded to three games, ensuring he could miss NRL clashes with Gold Coast Titans, Canterbury Bulldogs and Wests Tigers, which are all fixtures Newcastle will expect to win.

It comes at the start of what is a key season for the forward as he enters the final year of his Knights contract. The 24-year-old has been an important man under Adam O’Brien since making the move over to the NRL ahead of the 2024 campaign, but his plan could well be to test the waters on the open market before deciding his future.

It seems highly likely that Pearce-Paul will remain in the NRL, but it remains to be seen if he will stick around at the Knights, where Will Pryce also plies his trade at present.