MACQUARIE will be forced to wait a bit longer for the availability of mid-season signing Callan Briggs, who remains under suspension from another competition.
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Newcastle RL officials clarified this week that Briggs still has to serve one game of a four-match ban for contrary conduct, ruling him out of Saturday's crucial clash with Wests at Lyall Peacock Field.
Punished earlier this year while at Illawarra club Collegians, centre Briggs has since returned to the Scorpions but with a bye and wet-weather round also approaching he now won't get a chance to play first grade until July 23.
"The suspension has to be served in the competition it occurred," Newcastle RL general manager Adam Devich said.
Making matters worse for coach Matt Roach, halfback Bayden Searle may now have featured in his last fixture for 2023 after entering an early guilty plea this week and copping a four-game suspension for a dangerous throw.
Roach likely has the services of Kerrod Holland and Cody Bryant again after both missed Macquarie's fourth straight loss.
Only one point and one rung separates 2022 grand finalists the Scorpions (12) and seventh-ranked Wests (13) on the competition ladder with five rounds left in the campaign.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
