Canberra Raiders News

NRL semi-finals: Bulldogs face player concerns; Sharks and Panthers optimistic about returns.

LeagueNews.co

The NRL semi-finals are set, and the Canterbury Bulldogs are generating the most discussion. After their loss to the Melbourne Storm in the qualifying final last weekend, there were concerns that up to five players might be sidelined. However, only one player has not been included in the 22-man squad for their upcoming match against the Penrith Panthers.

Meanwhile, the Cronulla Sharks and Penrith Panthers are both optimistic that some of their players will return. The Canberra Raiders also have player availability issues to consider.

Here are the primary highlights from the team lists for the semi-finals.

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Patrick Carrigan will miss the preliminary final after accepting a guilty plea for a tackle.

LeagueNews.co

Brisbane Broncos star forward Patrick Carrigan will be sitting out the club's preliminary final after he opted to accept an early guilty plea concerning a Grade 2 careless high tackle.

This incident stemmed from a tackle during Sunday afternoon's game against Canberra, which resulted in Carrigan being sent to the sin bin for his actions against Morgan Smithies, a middle forward for Canberra. Had he chosen to contest the charge at the judiciary, he risked missing not only the preliminary final but potentially the grand final as well.

In addition, Reece Walsh faced two fines, while players from the Canterbury Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, and Canberra Raiders also experienced financial penalties following the opening round of finals matches.

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