Stars on thin ice at judiciary

SOME of the NRL’s best game-breakers are walking a finals tightrope that could derail premiership dreams.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the list of star players entering the finals with carryover points from prior offences. One slip-up, one swinging arm, accidental shoulder charge, striking or dangerous contract charge could push them beyond 100 points and possibly end their season through suspension.

The list includes Nathan Brown, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Angus Crichton, Kalyn Ponga, Dane Gagai, Wade Graham, Viliame Kikau, Liam Knight, Jarome Luai, Chad Townsend, Jaydn Su’A and Dale Finucane.

Brown and Campbell-Gillard form the nucleus of Parramatta’s powerful pack while Kikau is the steamroller pushing Penrith towards grand final history. The in-form Luai also has carry-over points.

A crackdown on the hipdrop tackle — where a player drops his body weight on to the back of a player’s lower body, usually as third man in — also has referees and match review officials prowling for indiscretions.

“It’s that time of year when players have to be particularly careful,” former NSW captain and coach Laurie Daley said. “One slip-up now and it could mean missing a big game through suspension. “You’d be gutted.

“No one wants to be rubbed out of the big end-of-season games which they have worked so hard to play in … One suspension to a key player could have a huge bearing on who wins this year’s grand final.”