The Forbes Magpies have accepted the heavy punishment handed down to Tongia Fox at the Group 11 judiciary on Thursday night.
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The prop was whacked with a 17-week ban after being sent off for two high shots in consecutive tackles during the Magpies' loss to Dubbo CYMS last week.
The charges of one high tackle - high and one high tackle - moderate, combined with Fox's previous charges resulted in the lengthy ban.
Fox missed the first five rounds of this season as he completed a suspension delivered in Group 20 last season, while he had been sin-binned on numerous occasions this year prior to Sunday's send-off.
Fox didn't fight the charges handed down, and Magpies president Matt Coleman said the club stood by that choice.
"We accept the punishment and support Tongia with whatever he does," Coleman said.
We accept the punishment and support Tongia with whatever he does
- Forbes Magpie president Matt Coleman
Fox will now miss the rest of this season and a large chunk of the next one but the Magpies president added they'd still welcome the back-rower back to the club for 2020 should he decided to stay in Forbes.
The suspension continues the Magpies' horror run when it comes to the marquee signings from last off-season.
Fox was one of the three major recruits, alongside former Irish World Cup representative Josh Toole and the powerful Brydon Ramien.
Toole relocated to Sydney early in the season and was forced to leave the club while Ramien also departed, making the switch to Group 10 club Cowra Magpies.
As well as that, the club has been hampered by long-term injuries to numerous players this year and those factors have the defending premiers at risk of missing this season's finals.
The Magpies sit fourth heading into this weekend's general bye, only ahead of Macquarie on for and against.
Elsewhere at the judiciary on Thursday night, Wellington's Steve Gordon was suspended for three weeks for a moderate striking charge after being sent off against Nyngan last weekend while Narromine's Washington Itoya copped one game for a moderate striking charge.
Ex-Newcastle player Gordon is now set to miss the rest of the regular season.
Meanwhile the Magpies will need at least two wins in the final three rounds of the regular season and one of those is almost a given against Westside, a result that should give the defending premiers' for-and-against a nice boost as well.
That leaves a clash with Wellington at Kennard Park and then another massive southern derby at home to Parkes as the all-important games. Western representative Mitch Burke should be back for the latter of those, if not both.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
