NORTHERN Hawks face a nervous wait as the Newcastle Rugby League match review committee assess Scott Briggs' send off from round 14.
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The Hawks were reduced to 12 players around the half-hour mark of Saturday's 48-12 loss against hosts Cessnock. Northern were trailing 8-6 at the time.
Briggs was initially put on report and given 10 minutes in the sin bin for what referee Joey Butler described as "unprovoked three punches" following a tackle on the veteran playmaker by Cessnock's Caleb Garvie.
The punishment was quickly upgraded after what appeared to be backchat.
Also on Saturday and halfback Luke Walsh (hamstring) was the main concern as visitors Wests kept their finals hopes alive with a 24-6 win over Macquarie, Brock Lamb scored half of Maitland's points in a 48-22 victory away against Lakes while Wyong thrashed the Bulldogs 64-6 at Kurri Sportsground.
In Sunday's sole encounter Souths made it nine straight by accounting for Central 32-10 at St John Oval.
LADDER: Maitland 26; Souths, Wyong 22; Cessnock 21; The Entrance 18; Wests 15; Central 14; Macquarie 12; Lakes 10; Northern Hawks 8; Kurri Kurri 2.
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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.
