Sia Soliola's season is not over just yet after the Canberra Raiders lock was suspended for five weeks by the NRL for a high shot on Melbourne Storm fullback Billy Slater. Soliola pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous contact before he arrived at NRL headquarters on Tuesday evening and was handed a five-week ban, meaning he will be available for the Raiders' last match of the season.
The irony of the outcome is that Soliola will return to play the Melbourne Storm in round 26.
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The Raiders called upon high-profile solicitor Nick Ghabar to defend Soliola after the 30-year-old was referred directly to the judiciary for an ugly hit on Slater that left him unconscious on the turf of GIO Stadium on Saturday night.
"I would like to thank the NRL for giving me a fair hearing. It's pretty disappointing losing five weeks but I respect and accept the punishment they have passed on. Apologies to everyone that was affected by this, especially Billy and his family," Soliola said afterwards. "I know this has put a bad light on our game and I love this game because it's given me so much, so I'm going to do the best I can to reward this game and give it the good image it's supposed to have."
![Awful sight: A concussed Billy Slater is assisted from the field.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170726085047im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/g/p/i/u/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxi3qh.png/1500979957116.jpg)
Ghabar argued for a three-week suspension, taking into account prior offences and an early plea.
He said his client accepted there was forceful contact but made the point Slater slipped in the lead-up to being hit.
In the wake of Slater's concussion, Storm teammate Cooper Cronk wants referees to make better use of the send-off rule.
The Storm will be without Slater (concussion) while Cameron Smith (minor pec tear) is a chance for this Sunday's game against Manly at AAMI Park.
Cronk said he was concerned about the late hit that knocked out Slater. He was concerned someone could "take out" a player in a grand final if referees are not using the send-off rule.
There has been only one send-off in the past three years, with Canberra's David Shillington dismissed for a headbutt in 2015.
"If you are in a grand final and you take out one of the leading players in the opposition, knowing there is no send-off offence and knowing that you will just cop a suspension the next season, then that needs to change," Cronk said on Tuesday. "You can't do that, can't physically go out and hurt someone to take them out of the game. But I think everything is in place, it just comes down to the actual adjudication.
"I don't want to judge the referees but you would think the situation, the circumstances and how it all unfolded and having the ability to see replays – there should have been a harsher penalty on the night."
Cronk said he didn't want Slater or Smith – who is due to play his 350th game but is only an outside chance – to risk their long-term fitness.
"Billy is still nursing a sore head," Cronk said. "He doesn't really remember a lot about what has gone on but the good thing now is that it is not really up to the player whether he plays, it's about passing the concussion protocols and memory tests. It will be taken out of Billy's hands, I would say."
The Storm face Manly Sea Eagles at AAMI Park on Sunday in a game that will celebrate the club's 2007 grand final win, a premiership that was later stripped due to salary cap offences.
Cronk played that day and hopes to have the Storm in this year's grand final, but he won't put a timeline on when he will decide to play on or retire. "The love of the game is still there, but there is nothing to add to it. I haven't made a decision on my future yet," Cronk said.
Smith was named in the Storm's extended squad on Tuesday night.
Storm football director Frank Ponissi said Smith had made big strides in his recovery so might end up taking his place for his 350th game on Sunday.
"There will be no decision made on him until Saturday ... but he is a better chance now than he was 48 hours ago," Ponissi said.