North Queensland forward Coen Hess is set to miss his team's final game of the NRL regular season against Penrith after being charged for his hit on South Sydney's Campbell Graham.
Hess was sinbinned in the 74th minute of Saturday night's 20-10 loss after he rushed out of the line and hit Graham hard, sparking a melee as the Rabbitohs centre lay dazed.
The Cowboys forward was handed a grade-two careless high tackle charge on Sunday despite his coach Todd Payten insisting Hess didn't make contact with Graham's head.
Graham, who did not leave the field for a HIA, disputed that claim afterwards.
"There was contact with my head, I felt," he said. "The initial bit I was dazed but I came good pretty quick.
"I don't know what made contact with my head. I heard it was a head clash, I know he was rattled.
"I don't have anything against it or anything, it's just one of those incidents. I don't make the decision to send him in the bin or whatever."
Hess can take the early guilty plea and miss the club's round 25 game with defending premiers Penrith and be cleared to play finals.
If the unlikely event he opts to fight the charge and then loses at the judiciary he would also miss the Cowboys' first finals match.
North Queensland look set to be away to Cronulla in week one of the finals after the Sharks won on Saturday and the Cowboys fell to the Bunnies.
