Storm loses Smith, Kasiano

MELBOURNE Storm will be without Cameron Smith and Sam Kasiano for the crunch clash with Manly Sea Eagles after they both accepted onegame bans.

Club officials held long discussions yesterday before taking the early pleas on four separate “dangerous contact” charges levelled against Smith, Kasiano, Josh Addo-Carr and Cameron Munster.

In doing so, the quartet must tread the judicial tightrope for the rest of the season, with 12 to 75 carry-over points hanging over their heads.

Munster and Addo-Carr are most at risk, holding 75 carryover points apiece for a clumsy and dangerous tackle on Gold Coast Titan Lee Brenko last Saturday night.

While Melbourne fancied its chances at the judiciary, the risk of losing an appeal and not having Smith for the last two games before State of Origin starts proved too much.

Storm football director Frank Ponissi said Smith had wanted to clear his name.

“He wanted to fight it, but the danger to the team and leaving the team short for two weeks rather than one was just too great for him to go ahead with it,” Ponissi said.

“We gave it an enormous amount of thought . . . we think we had a really strong case, but it was one that if we didn’t win he’d cop another week.”

Smith was cited for a contentious “wishbone” tackle against Titan Kevin Proctor.

Had the second-rower not been injured in the tackle, it is likely Smith would have avoided a penalty for putting Proctor in a vulnerable position by lifting his leg off the ground.

Smith’s ban is the captain’s first since he sensationally missed the 2008 grand final.