Lawton banned for four games

KARL Lawton will miss the Manly Sea Eagles’ next four games after accepting the early guilty plea for his dangerous throw charge.

The referee sent Lawton from the field on Friday night when he threw South Sydney Rabbitohs star Cameron Murray to the ground in a spear tackle.

The Sea Eagles were forced to play more than 70 minutes a man down and lost 40-22 despite their best efforts.

The following day, the match review committee categorised Lawton’s tackle as grade three – the most serious charge handed out for dangerous throws.

Lawton (pictured) had the option to challenge the charge and risk missing five games if he was unsuccessful, but on Monday morning the Sea Eagles confirmed he would accept a fourmatch ban.

Lawton will miss upcoming clashes with the Wests Tigers, Brisbane Broncos, Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm.

After the game, Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler said Lawton was remorseful.

“He’s devastated,” Hasler said. “There was certainly no malice in the tackle but at the same time, there’ll be some consequences to face.

“Would you send him or sin bin him? I thought maybe the decision could’ve been disputed there but, either way, he wasn’t going to stay on the field.”

Lawton’s on-field punishment divided rugby league pundits, with Phil Gould questioning why a player had been sent off when no serious injury had occurred.

“To be sent off for that, when there is absolutely no injury to the other player, that’s extraordinary,” he said on Channel 9.

Storm great Cameron Smith said he “thought 10 minutes in the bin would’ve been sufficient”.

“I don’t think he had any intent at all to drop him on his head,” Smith said. “That’s a tackle that’s gone wrong.”