Sonny Bill Williams has made an impassioned plea for South Sydney hooker Issac Luke to be cleared to play in next Sunday's grand final and insists there was no malice in the tackle that landed him on report in the historic Rabbitohs win over Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium.
Luke, who is a key member of the Souths side, faces an anxious wait to learn if he must defend a charge from the NRL match-review committee over the 38th-minute tackle on Williams but the departing Roosters star does not believe he should have anything to fear.
"There was nothing in the tackle and it would be a great travesty if any player was to miss the grand final over a nothing tackle like that," Williams said. "That is just footy, I am sweet and my shoulder is all good.
"I don't even think that Issac should have to sweat about it over the weekend because there was nothing in the tackle that he should be worried about so I hope the match review committee see it that way and let him play.
"It would be wrong if he had to miss a grand final because of something like that and I will do anything I can to help him if I can. I spoke to Issac at the end of the game to wish him good luck for next week and I told him he shouldn't have anything to worry about because there was nothing in the tackle.
Souths second-rower Ben Te'o, who made his return from a four-match suspension for a chicken wing, was also involved in the tackle but is likely to be free to make his farewell appearance in the grand final before joining Williams and Rabbitohs lock Sam Burgess in rugby union.
However, any charge would rule Luke out of the clash as a grade-one dangerous throw is worth 125 demerit points and he has 50 carry-over points from a dangerous-contact charge earlier in the season that also adds 20 per cent loading to the base penalty.
He was a member of the teams that lost the last two preliminary finals to the Bulldogs in Manly and played a significant role in Friday night's win at ANZ Stadium with 11 darting runs out of dummy half in which he made 98 metres and drew a penalty for Frank-Paul Nuuausala being offside near the Rabbitohs' try line.
"We will obviously go through it on Monday or whenever we get the charges," Luke said afterwards.
Maguire insists there was nothing untowards about the incident and fully expects Luke to take his place in next weekend's grand final with Penrith or Canterbury.
"I don't normally make comment about (issues on report) but I didn't think there was much in it at all," Maguire said.
If Luke is suspended, Souths coach Michael Maguire may have to alter the make up of his interchange bench to accommodate two hookers as he did earlier in the year when Apisai Koroisau and Cameron McInness deputised after injuries.
However, he has Jason Clark on the interchange and the Rabbitohs junior, who marched with his dad to protest the club's expulsion from the NRL in 2000, is able to play hooker.
Roosters props Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sam Moa also face judiciary charges after being placed on report for separate incidents in a disappointing end to their bid to become the first team to win back to back premierships in a united competition since Brisbane beat St George in the 1992 and 1993 grand finals.
After the Roosters scored two tries in the opening eight minutes, the Rabbitohs appeared destined to again fall short of a grand final appearance and a shot at the elusive 21st premiership but the game turned midway through the first half and it was their arch rivals who were left frustrated and disappointed.
"It hasn't happened for 20 years and it is disappointing," Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce said. "When we look back we will probably have a lot of regret but we just weren't good enough."
Waerea-Hargreaves was placed on report for dangerous contact after Te'o alleged he had been headbutted in backplay after a penalty had been awarded against the Roosters in the 23rd minute and he was again accused of leading with his head in a tackle on Souths centre Kirisome Auva'a in the dying moments.
Moa was also placed on report for a swinging arm in the same tackle that may rule him out of the Kiwis for the opening Four Nations match against Australia at Suncorp Stadium next month.
Robinson took exception to suggestions that Waerea-Hargreaves had headbutted Te'o and believed he was under scrutiny for a shoulder charge.
However, he admitted the Roosters discipline "could have been better".
