Parramatta's marquee offseason recruit Spencer Leniu is poised to miss the first two games of the 2027 campaign -- including the Eels trip to Las Vegas -- after being sinbinned in Samoa's World Cup semifinal loss to Australia.
Leniu was sinbinned by referee Adam Gee for dissent late in the first half of Sunday's 44-12 loss to the Kangaroos in Sydney.
The prop made a money gesture with his hand as he walked towards the tunnel, a sign that many interpreted as the Samoan forward questioning the integrity and impartiality of match officials.
Leniu was handed a grade three contrary conduct charge on Monday.
The 26-year-old, who will join Parramatta after winning the 2026 premiership with Sydney Roosters, will miss the club's opening two games of the season, which includes their trip to the US to face Gold Coast.
In the unlikely event he contests the charge, Leniu would incur an additional one-game ban if he were to lose his appeal.
The prop's outburst came during a frustrating night for Samoa, from which Samoan halves Ronald Volkman and Jarome Luai have avoided suspension for dangerous contact.
Samoa were on the wrong end of a 9-4 penalty count and coach Ben Gardiner suggested Gee had handed the Kangaroos several "home ground calls".
"It was a real home ground advantage for Australia," Gardiner said.
"They had the the music pumping in the background and we had a lot of Samoan fans here to support us, which was brilliant.
"But they got the home ground calls, got a really good start and then it was just too hard for us to chase back from there."
Brisbane winger Josiah Karapani will also be a late starter next season after he was hit with a two-game suspension by the NRL following a drink driving charge in June.
Karapani, one of Brisbane's best last season, also received an infringement notice for speeding, along with further penalties for failure to display P plates and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.
In court, he was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months.
He had already served a club-imposed one-game suspension last season, with the NRL on Monday adding a $1500 suspended fine and obligation to complete an education and training session.
It was his second off-field indiscretion in the season after he was previously stood down by the Broncos for a public nuisance offence in March.