Injury and likely suspensions rock
Panthers

Defending premiers Penrith have been knocked about by injury and the judiciary in the lead-up to the finals, with Ben Ross, Joel Clinton and Joe Galuvao all facing time on the sidelines.

Ross could be out for twelve weeks after being charged over two separate incidents stemming out of Penrith?s 42-8 win over Canberra on Saturday night. As expected, he was hit with a grade four dangerous throw charge for his part in a tackle on Raiders? lock Jason Croker just before half-time.

Joel Clinton was the other player involved in the tackle and he will be suspended for one match if he submits an early guilty plea.

Ross was also charged with striking following an incident in the lead-up to a try by Danny Galea. The Queensland Origin forward will be outed for nine weeks if he decides to submit an early guilty plea, but would be unlikely to play again this season unless Penrith made the grand final. Even that would be on the condition that they played in every week of the finals, and didn?t earn a week off following their first game.

Joe Galuvao will be out for between two and six weeks with a rib injury, while point scoring whiz Ryan Girlder could be out for a month with an ankle problem. He?ll have scans tomorrow to determine the full extent of the injury.

In other judiciary news, Melbourne Storm forward Danny Williams faces a lengthy stay on the sidelines after being charged with striking following his ?king hit? on Wests Tigers forward Mark O?Neill.

Williams has been referred straight to the judiciary who would be most likely to put him out of football for the rest of the season tomorrow night.

Adrian Morley, Luke O?Donnell and Mark O?Neill were also charged with high tackles following weekend matches.

Morley will be outed for at least two weeks while O?Donnell and O?Neill will avoid suspension thanks to their clean records.