We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
The NRL's match review committee have confirmed Grade 1 dangerous contact charges for Canberra Raiders' forwards Hudson Young and Emre Guler.
Young was sin binned for an offence during the first half which saw him make late and dangerous contact with Newcastle Knights star fullback and 2023 Dally M Medal winner Kalyn Ponga.
The Newcastle fullback, who made a break, had passed the ball after evading a tackle when he was hit dangerously by Young who raised his forearm into Ponga.
Ricky Stuart has fired off the first shot at NRL officials for the 2024 season, suggesting Canberra Raiders' second-rower Hudson Young should never have been sin binned during a Round 1 upset win over the Newcastle Knights.
Young found himself sitting on the sideline for ten minutes during the first half after making late and dangerous contact with Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga.
The Newcastle star, who took out the 2023 Dally M Medal, had made a break out of his own half and, after swerving out of the way of an attempted tackle, passed the ball. As he continued downfield, Young took a number of steps towards Ponga before making contact with him.
Andrew Johns, the legendary halfback, didn't hold back in his assessment of the Knights' performance, labeling it as 'terrible' and urging the team to lift their game.
It was a reality check for Ponga, who had been riding high after his Dally M win and stellar performance in the finals last year.
But as they say in the world of Rugby League, one game doesn't define a season.
The Knights will need to regroup and bounce back quickly if they want to live up to the high expectations placed on them this year.