NRL Judiciary Charges Panthers' McLean After Tackle Breaks Bulldog's Jaw

Penrith Panthers player Casey McLean has been charged by the NRL judiciary following a tackle that resulted in Canterbury Bulldogs prop Max King sustaining a broken jaw. McLean faces a suspension, the length of which depends on his plea. A separate charge was issued to a Canterbury player from the same match.

The Incident and Match Context

The incident occurred during the first half of a National Rugby League (NRL) match between the Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs on Thursday. Canterbury won the match 32-16.

Following a review of the play, referee Gerard Sutton stopped the game several phases after the tackle and sent Penrith's Casey McLean to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.

Injury and Disciplinary Charges

Canterbury Bulldogs forward Max King sustained a broken jaw as a result of the tackle. King is scheduled for surgery due to the injury.

On Friday morning, the NRL judiciary charged Casey McLean with a Grade Two careless high tackle.

Potential Suspension:

• Early Guilty Plea: One-match suspension.
• Contest and Found Guilty: Two-match suspension.

A suspension would likely cause McLean to miss the Penrith Panthers' upcoming match against the Dolphins in Darwin.

Additional Judiciary Matter

In a separate incident from the same match, Canterbury Bulldogs utility Kurt Mann was also charged with a high tackle. Mann received a $1,000 fine.

Statements on the Incident

Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary commented on the tackle, stating his initial view was that other players on the field did not appear to see or react to significant contact at the time.

Cleary suggested the contact might have been "shoulder then head and a bit of whiplash" and noted there was limited video footage of the incident available for review.