Patrick Carrigan has been referred directly to the NRL judiciary for a hip-drop tackle and is facing a lengthy suspension in a significant blow to Brisbane's hopes of finishing the season in the top four.
Late in the Wests Tigers' upset win over the Broncos, Carrigan applied pressure to Jackson Hastings' lower leg in a tackle that may have ended the playmaker's season.
Placed on report, Carrigan avoided the sin bin on Saturday night but was referred next morning straight to the judiciary without having the option to enter a plea.
On Tuesday night, he will appear before the two-man judiciary panel which could take the severity of Hastings' injury into account as it determines Carrigan's penalty.
Carrigan is in career-best form and any long-term suspension could jeopardise the Broncos' hopes of securing a top-four finish and a double chance in the finals series.
With the loss to the Tigers, Brisbane slipped to fifth but are on the same number of competition points as the sides directly above and below them on the ladder.
Elsewhere, South Sydney look set to be without Tom Burgess for next week's match against the Warriors after he was hit with a grade-two careless high-tackle charge.
Burgess also became the first South Sydney player to be sent off since Jaiman Lowe in 2007 after the tackle on Cronulla's Ronaldo Mulitalo.
Having already been penalised three times in the game, Burgess was given his marching orders during extra-time, opening the door for the Sharks to capitalise on the extra-man advantage and seal victory with a field goal.
Burgess can accept a one-match ban with an early guilty plea but risks missing two games by taking his case to the judiciary.
Canberra prop Joseph Tapine has escaped suspension for allegedly striking Gold Coast's Aaron Booth but has been charged with contrary conduct for his role in sparking a scuffle between the sides on Saturday.
Referee Ben Cummins sent Tapine to the sin bin just before half-time after he appeared to throw a punch at Booth, who Tapine claimed had targeted him with a cannonball tackle.
But bunker referee Casey Badger cleared the contact and only Tapine was punished on-field. Tapine can accept a $1,000 fine.
