Round 21 charges: Garner suspended; McGuire cops three-week ban

Wests Tigers forward Luke Garner has been suspended for one match after failing to beat a dangerous contact charge at the judiciary on Tuesday night.

When the 35 carry-over points he had against his name were added to the 90 points an early guilty plea to the grade one charge brought with it, the back-rower was facing a one-week ban whether or not he challenged the charge.

By failing to beat the charge he received the full 120 points punishment, plus 35 carryover points.

Garner will next be eligible for selection in the club's round 23 home game against the Newcastle Knights at Campbelltown.

Raiders second-rower Elliott Whitehead has avoided suspension with an early guilty plea after being hit with a dangerous contact charge.

The Match Review Committee gave Whitehead a grade one charge for a 28th-minute incident involving Roosters centre Joseph Manu in last Sunday's game.

Whitehead is free to face the Storm on Saturday but has 75 carryover points to his name.

Titans centre Brian Kelly has avoided a week's suspension by taking an early guilty plea for a dangerous throw on Dragons forward Patrick Kaufusi at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday.

Kelly's teammate Tyrone Peachey has been fined $1150 for a grade one careless high tackle charge on Korbin Sims. Peachey was facing a $1500 fine if he had unsuccessfully contested the charge.

Bulldogs forward Chris Smith was charged with grade one dangerous contact on Ryan Matterson but is free to play after taking an early guilty plea.

Meanwhile, Cowboys enforcer Josh McGuire will accept a three-game suspension rather than seek a downgrade of his third contrary conduct charge this season for "facial" incidents.

McGuire and the club entered an early guilty plea to his grade two charge for unnecessarily placing his hand on David Fifita’s face in Brisbane's narrow win over North Queensland.

A successful challenge of the charge’s grading could have seen McGuire banned for just one week and was considered by the club.

Instead, the Test and Origin lock will next be available for the Cowboys' final-round trip to Melbourne.

McGuire's act on Fifita would usually incur a grade-one charge but the match review committee upped the grading because previous penalties had clearly failed to deter the 29-year-old.

It was determined there was not enough evidence to charge McGuire with an eye-gouge, which carries heftier punishment.

McGuire earned a grade one contrary conduct charge for raking Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster's face in round five. He was fined $3350 after Munster chose not to make an official complaint.

The incumbent Australian forward then escaped with the maximum $4500 fine - reduced to $3400 after an early plea - for a similar incident involving Manly's Dylan Walker in round 13.

McGuire received a one-match ban for grade one dangerous contact on NSW playmaker James Maloney during Origin II.

Cronulla winger Ronaldo Mulitalo was hit with a contrary conduct charge in relation to a 69th minute incident involving Penrith winger Josh Mansour in Friday night's match.

Mulitalo was fined $1150 after taking an early plea. The fine would've been $1500 if he had unsuccessfully challenged the charge at the judiciary.