Pat Carrigan accepts a one-week suspension, missing Brisbane's preliminary final against Penrith or Canterbury.
Stand-in Broncos skipper Pat Carrigan has submitted an early guilty plea and has been rubbed out of Brisbane's preliminary final blockbuster on Sunday week.
This masthead can reveal the Broncos have refused to fight the charge at the NRL judiciary with Carrigan to accept a one-week suspension for his high shot on Morgan Smithies in Sunday's finals defeat of Canberra.
Carrigan will be sidelined for Brisbane's grand-final qualifier against Penrith or Canterbury at Suncorp Stadium and will be sweating on the Broncos winning to keep his premiership hopes alive.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire explored the prospect of fighting the charge in the hope of a downgrade, but he played it safe to ensure Carrigan will be available if Brisbane qualify for the grand final.