The relative obscurity of a NRL trial in Hobart might not be enough to save Brisbane prop Petero Civoniceva from suspension for the opening round of the season.
Melbourne Storm officials were left fuming after a high shot from the returning Bronco floored Storm backrower Ryan Hinchcliffe in the closing stages of Saturday night's trial in the Tasmanian capital.
Hinchcliffe had to be stretchered from the field and, with a black eye to show for his troubles, was still feeling the effects as the team headed back to Melbourne on Sunday.
The Storm expect to have Hinchcliffe on deck for round one, but Civoniceva might not be as fortunate.
NRL rules stipulate that all trial matches must be video-taped by at least one camera for judiciary purposes, though footage of incidents can sometimes prove to be hit and miss with the limited coverage.
But the Storm have indicated they have their own damming footage of the incident, and the NRL match review committee has vowed to get its hands on any evidence it can.
"The match review committee can access anything, so if there is any camera angles or any footage that's taken and we're aware of it, then we can request that," committee chairman Greg McCallum said.
"It's about the preparation of evidence.
"Basically in trials, if the incident occurs and we know about it, by any means we can look at it."
McCallum admitted the lack of coverage of NRL trials presented some obstacles in charging players, but he denied it had the potential to increase the likelihood of infringements occurring.
"Obviously we can only charge blokes with what we see and the evidence we collect," he added.
"Certainly in the time I've been doing it, it hasn't meant that players have got away with things. It just makes it a bit more challenging."
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Certainly the match review committee could prove more of a hindrance to round-one selections than injury concerns, particularly after Parramatta duo Jarryd Hayne and Tim Mannah were cleared of serious knee injuries.
Both are considered possible starters for the game against Brisbane on Friday week, while club doctors are still awaiting the results on scans on Ben Smith's injured pectoral muscle.
