League: Matai's indiscretion to cost Kiwis

Steve Matai's name on the Kiwis train-on list for next month's Four Nations tournament virtually has a line through it after the abrasive Manly centre faces a minimum seven-match ban by the National Rugby League (NRL) judiciary.

Matai was included in the 43-player squad yesterday but with suspension inevitable he can look forward to an extended off season.

Charged with a grade three reckless high tackle after his sickening off-the-ball shot on Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis on Sunday there is no escape route for one of the competition's hardest hitters.

Matai must lodge his plea today and an early guilty plea will result in the seven game penalty.

If Matai risks pleading not guilty -- an unlikely scenario -- and the charge is upheld, the ban extends to nine games. Attempting to downgrade the charge also appears unfeasible.

Even if injury-hit Manly defy the odds and survive their play-off with favourites St George-Illawarra this weekend and progress to the October 3 grand final, Matai will still have three matches -- all for the Kiwis -- to serve before a seven-match term expires.

He would be unavailable for the warm-up test against Samoa and then Four-Nations games against England and Papua New Guinea.

Providing he is selected on trust by Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney, Matai would only be available for the November 6 match against the Kangaroos at Eden Park, by which time the team should have established combinations.

The Kiwis have one more potential match after playing Australia, the final at Brisbane on November 13.

Matai has already served a three-match ban this season for a similar tackle on Parramatta fullback Jarryd Hayne, and his latest act of aggression did not sit well with Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler.

"It didn't look good from the first angle I saw it," he said.

"Steve will be disappointed. We are in a position where we need a player of his calibre, we are already down on troops so we could do without it."

Ennis needed to be assisted from Brookvale Oval after being heavily concussed, though after the match he bore Matai no malice.

"He got me in the right spot but it isn't like me head came off," the New South Wales representative said.

"It was bad timing but he's a physical player and I'm happy to move on. He asked me after the game if I was all right, I don't think he needed to apologise."

Matai is an incumbent after playing May's Anzac Test in Melbourne, though Kearney has no shortage of backline replacements.

Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who is in sparkling tryscoring form with the Sydney Roosters, shapes as one option as is New Zealand Warrior Jerome Ropati, who missed the Anzac Test through injury.