Canberra Raiders star Sebastian Kris's massive five-week ban could cost NRL finals and Kiwis Tests

Kris has already taken the early guilty plea for his grade-three dangerous throw on Cronulla winger Sione Katoa in the Raiders' 24-6 loss to the Sharks at Cronulla on Sunday.

He risked a six-game ban if he had challenged the match review committee's charge, which was handed out on Monday.

That ruled him out of the Raiders' elimination final against the Newcastle Knights at Newcastle on Sunday.

At best, Kris would be unavailable for New Zealand's Test against Samoa at Eden Park in October - if the Green Machine were to make it through to the NRL grand final - but could then play the rest of the Pacific Championships for the Kiwis.

If the Raiders bow out of the finals race against the Knights, then he would miss the Kiwis Tests and at least round one of the 2024 NRL season as well.

The first person Raiders co-captain Jarrod Croker thought of to replace Kris on the left wing was Albert Hopoate.

Hopoate played there the majority of the season before a rib injury ruled him out of the Brisbane Broncos game.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart also has James Schiller, Xavier Savage and Harley Smith-Shields as options for when he names his team on Tuesday.

"Straight off the top of your head 'Hoppa' was 18th man [on Sunday] so he's one there," Croker told The Canberra Times at the NRL finals launch on Monday.

"Xavier and Schiller have been playing really well in NSW Cup. There's a couple of options there.

"Whoever's there is going to be excited and playing a key role. They'll have to play well because it's a big test."

Croker ruled himself out as an option to replace Kris on the wing.

He was happy to play there if it was best for the Green Machine - he just felt there were better options.

"I won't be playing wing. I don't know. I'll just do whatever I can, whatever's best for the team," Croker said.

"If it's best for the team me being on the bench, if it's best for the team me being around the team and just a part of it all, if it's best for the team being on the wing I'll play there - but I don't think it is.

"I'll do whatever's best for the team and we'll see how we go."

Raiders fullback Jordan Rapana had hoped Kris wouldn't miss the Kiwis Tests for the tackle that got him sent off in the 60^th minute of the Sharks loss.

Rapana felt Kris was a shoe-in for that New Zealand squad at the end of the year.

MORE RAIDERS NEWS

To ensure that doesn't happen, Rapana and the Raiders will now need to make the grand final.

Rapana backed whoever came in for Kris - even throwing his own name as a possible option for the wing.

But that would require another rejig at fullback

"There's some wonderful players. As you've seen with [NSW] Cup they'e going awesome too, making the finals," Rapana said.

"There's plenty of options. We're not short of wingers or centres or outside backs.

"So depending on what [Stuart] wants to do, he could even put me back there [on the wing].

"You've got to go where you've got to go. We've got players that we trust to fill in and do the job."

NRL ELIMINATION FINAL

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights at Newcastle, 4.05pm.

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