The NRL has hit NSW's Haumole Olakau'atu and Cameron Murray with two-match bans and handed down up to $39,000 in fines after the sideline brawl in the State of Origin decider.
In a dramatic postscript to the Blues' first series win in three years, both Murray and Olakau'atu copped grade-three contrary conduct charges on Thursday for running off the NSW bench to join the scuffle.
It comes after Murray made Origin history on Wednesday night as the first player sin-binned while off the field, and NSW's 19th man Olakau'atu was evicted from the arena after joining the fracas while dressed in a suit jacket and chinos.
Murray and Olakau'atu each entered early guilty pleas on Thursday evening, avoiding taking the fight to the judiciary and risking a third game on the sidelines.
Their pleas came despite both South Sydney and Manly officials being frustrated that the offences in Origin will now impact their club seasons and finals hopes.
Eight others players were hit with fines, with the NRL desperate to send a message after a melee that spilled over the sideline and crashed into exercise bikes and television monitors.
Jeremiah Nanai, Brian To'o, Reuben Cotter and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow were each hit with $6000 fines for their involvement in the scuffle in the first half of the Blues' 14-4 win.
NSW 18th man Matt Burton and prop Payne Haas, who were both on the Blues bench, were fined $3000 each for running in, as was Felise Kaufusi from the Maroons' interchange.
Queensland second-rower Kurt Capewell is facing a total of $6000 in fines, on dangerous-throw and dangerous-contact charges from separate incidents.
Each of those fines can be reduced by around 33 per cent with early guilty plea, reducing the total amount of the fines from the game to $26,100.
Notably, Queensland and Brisbane superstar Reece Walsh escaped sanction after he was placed on report for sliding his boot into Stephen Crichton's face as the Blues centre attempted to score.
The numerous charges come after one of the most dramatic Origin matches in recent memory.
Queensland remained adamant on Thursday that Murray should have been sent off, rather than sin-binned, for running in off the bench.
"I haven't seen (anyone do) that before," Cherry-Evans said.
"I feel pretty clear that's pretty unacceptable at any level of footy, but that's just my thoughts.
"My opinion out there ... I still stand by that. The ref didn't see it that way and the Bunker didn't see it that way. We dealt with it and moved on."
Cherry-Evans did come to the defence of Olakau'atu's character, who was forced to watch his NSW teammates lift the shield from the tunnel.
"I have got a lot of time and a lot of love for Haumole," Cherry-Evans said.
"I don't know what has happened there. I didn't really know he was involved."
Olakau'atu will miss Manly's clashes against Gold Coast and the Sydney Roosters in a significant blow to their finals hopes.
"That definitely hurts. We've lost probably our best player," NSW captain and Sea Eagles teammate Jake Trbojevic told AAP.
"I suppose it shows you can't do that."
Murray's charge comes as another blow to South Sydney's faint finals hopes, with the club's captain set to join superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell on the sidelines for games against Wests Tigers and Canberra.
