The public apology and acceptance of responsibility by Young and Smithies was taken into account as the NRL weighed up its proposed sanction.
Meanwhile, fellow forward Zac Hosking is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines after playing on against Brisbane on Saturday night with a broken hand.
Sea Eagles relief after Trbojevic, DCE scans; Souths depth tested again
Manly are breathing a sigh of relief after scan results on Tom Trbojevic’s troublesome hamstring have cleared the superstar fullback of any significant injury.
Trbojevic and skipper Daly Cherry-Evans (back spasms) will both be monitored this week after being forced from the field in Friday’s loss to the Warriors.
Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold confirmed on Sunday morning that precautionary scans came back positive for Manly’s two most influential figures, with Cherry-Evans expected to be available for Sunday’s home game against Canberra and Trbojevic pushing to play as well.
Manly will also have speedster Tolutau Koula (thigh) and veteran prop Siosiua Taukeiaho (knee) back for the Raiders clash. Lehi Hopoate would switch to fullback if the Sea Eagles play it safe and keep Trbojevic on ice.
Trbojevic has a worrying history of hamstring issues and Manly are undoubtedly a different beast without their $1.1 million fullback. Unlike his six previous hamstring issues, Trbojevic did not pull up while running or react to a specific incident against the Warriors, with Manly confident his issue is limited to just stiffness in his lower back and hamstrings.
Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans were both injured in Manly’s loss to the Warriors.Credit: Getty Images
Cherry-Evans, meanwhile, told this masthead after he had touched down in Sydney on Saturday that he suffered a cork to his calf, which later caused tightness in his back.
“I picked up a cork in the first five or 10 minutes, I was running a bit differently, and as a result the back and hips were being overloaded,” Cherry-Evans said.
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“That’s as simple as it was. There was no impact injury. But I’ll be very surprised if I’m not playing next week.”
Elsewhere, the Rabbitohs depth will be further tested with rising forward Lachlan Hubner facing a two-game suspension – or three games if unsuccessfully challenged at the NRL judiciary – for a crusher tackle on Dragons captain Clint Gutherson.
Hubner has impressed as a small forward in the absence of Cam Murray in South Sydney’s 2-0 start to the year, but the club is also awaiting scan results on Tallis Duncan and a possible hamstring injury from their 25-24 win over St George Illawarra.
The Rabbitohs will have Jack Wighton back from suspension against Cronulla next Saturday.
Mikaela Ravalawa will also be in contention following official sign-off on his one-year move to South Sydney, with the Fijian flyer still on the Dragons books for 2026 if he doesn’t find a deal elsewhere.
Jai Arrow will also be available after passing two separate HIAs in Saturday’s win. Players are automatically ruled out of playing if they are called off for two HIAs in the one game, but Arrow was cleared of suffering a concussion after completing the tests.
Valentine Holmes, Harrison Edwards, Reuben Cotter, Cory Paix and Kobe Hetherington were all charged out of Saturday’s games but will be free to play by paying monetary fines.
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