Warrington battling to have Sita Akauol available for the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final
Warrington are battling to have forward Sita Akauola available for Saturday's Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final.
The former Wests Tigers and Penrith player has been handed a one-match penalty notice by the Rugby Football League's match-review panel for a grade A dangerous tackle on Mitch Clark during the Wolves' 28-18 league defeat at Castleford last Friday.
The suspension threatens to rule the 26-year-old out of the Wembley showdown with Catalans Dragons but Wolves head coach Steve Price says the club will contest the charge at a hearing in Leeds on Tuesday evening.
"We're contesting the ban," Price said at the club's cup final media at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
"We're confident we'll put a good case forward."
A grade A offence is normally not severe enough to warrant a suspension but Akauola has already served two bans for dangerous tackles earlier in the year, which the panel took into account.
Akauola, who is in his first season in Super League, missed the cup semi-final win over Leeds earlier this month through illness but has played in all but five of their 25 Super League fixtures so far.
Akauola is actually one of a number of minor injury concerns for Price after hurting his shoulder in the game at Castleford but is expected to be fit to play if he is cleared by a disciplinary panel.
There could also be a surprise return for long-serving centre Ryan Atkins, who has been out for two months after undergoing surgery for a torn bicep.
"Ryan Atkins had a good session and Sitaleki was out on the training field despite copping a bang on his shoulder," Price said.
"Harvey Livett trained today and he's looking in reasonable shape at the moment.
"Tyrone Roberts has had some limited training with concussion protocols but he'll be raring to go. We'll be ready to go."
Utility forward George King deputised for Akauola in the semi-final and is likely to benefit from any suspension.
"I'm confident that, if it was worst-case scenario, the players who would come in would do a good job - just as they have done all year," Price said.
"George King has come into consideration because he played some good stuff against Castleford and he's been banging on the door.
"We've got a big session on Wednesday and we'll know a lot more after that."
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