Knights coach Rick Stone is disappointed in Ben Rogers for a ''brain snap'' that has ruled the playmaker out of their do-or-die NRL game against Penrith at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Sunday and potentially the rest of their season.
Rogers felt the wrath of the NRL match review committee yesterday when he was charged with grade-four striking for his flurry of punches on Raiders winger Daniel Vidot in the 62nd minute of Newcastle's 30-14 loss at Canberra Stadium on Monday night.
The former Penrith junior faces a three-game suspension if he pleads guilty or would miss five games if found guilty by the NRL judiciary tonight.
Vidot was charged with grade-three contrary conduct for his attempted use of the knee on Rogers in the subsequent melee and will miss two games if he pleads guilty or three if found guilty by the judiciary.
Stone believed 24-year-old Rogers, in his 72nd game and sixth NRL season, allowed himself to be baited by 19-year-old Vidot, who was making just his seventh NRL appearance in his debut season.
''It was a brain snap. I'm disappointed in Ben to react,'' Stone said. ''Young Vidot had a bit to say throughout the game and Ben's discipline let him down a little bit there. We spoke a little bit after the game and he apologised, and I said, 'Mate, you're probably going to have a bigger sentence to deal with here'.
''He didn't think it was that serious but obviously everyone on the night, even the touch judge, or the other referee, was looking for him to get sent off and maybe that might have been a better result for us.''
Rogers and Knights football manager Warren Smiles reviewed different camera angles of the incident after the team arrived back in Newcastle late yesterday.
Smiles said the NRL had compared Rogers's attack to that of Michael Weyman, playing for Canberra at the time, on Gold Coast's Daniel Conn last year, and with South Sydney's David Fa'alogo on Roosters pivot Braith Anasta in 2007.
Weyman and Fa'alogo were both charged with grade-four striking and were suspended for five and seven matches respectively.
The Knights were considering pleading guilty but disputing the grading, hoping to have Rogers's suspension reduced.
Stone said the NRL had sent a clear message that violent on-field conduct was unacceptable.
''I think it's probably a good example for everyone, not necessarily just our boys, about what the NRL are looking to do with that sort of conduct on the field and the example that sets for everyone who plays rugby league,'' he said.
''Not just NRL players but right down to the kids, and obviously that's an image they're trying to protect and they're pretty strong in the stance they're taking.''
Rogers initially pushed Vidot away with his left arm, then when Vidot shoved him back, he retaliated with three punches to the head as players from both sides ran in to join the fight.
Referees Ashley Klein and Matt Cecchin took reports from touch judge Russell Turner.
One of those officials could be heard describing Rogers's response as a ''massive reaction'' and ''he has to go''.
Rogers was sin-binned and Vidot followed a minute later. They spoke on the sideline just before returning to the field 10 minutes later and Rogers felt they had made peace.
''It wasn't frustration. There was a little bit of verbal banter type of stuff, and he gave me a bit of a slap around the chops as I was getting up and I suppose those things happen,'' Rogers said.
On Vidot's use of the knee, Rogers said, ''You get that.''
Referring to their sideline conversation and another discussion after the game, he said, ''It wasn't really, 'It's all good'. It was more I just asked him if he was all right and he said he was. I was just making sure he wasn't hurt or anything.
''I spoke to him after the game as well, made sure he was all right, and he was happy enough to leave it at that.''
Rogers said he would be ''shattered'' at the prospect of missing any games, especially one that could catapult the Knights into their first finals series in three years and then any subsequent play-off matches.
Stone said Scott Dureau, who has played just one NRL game in the past 12 weeks, was Rogers's likely replacement against Penrith on Sunday.
The winner of that game will make the finals and the loser will miss out.
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