Broncos forward Jordan Riki is staring down the barrel of a three-game ban for his cheap shot on Cameron Murray in Friday night’s loss at Accor Stadium.

Riki took Murray out off the ball on suspicion with the Rabbitohs skipper forced to under an HIA as the Brisbane second-rower was banished to the sin bin.

He can cop a two-match suspension with an early guilty plea but risks a third match out if he challenges the judiciary.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters conceded after the match that Riki was lucky not to be sent off.

“I thought he was lucky to stay on the field,” Walters admitted. “I don’t think he’ll get suspended. I thought send-off would be sufficient. We need everyone (on deck), with two more Origins to go.

“Jordan was a bit off (in the loss). He will be the first one to admit that. We will have a discussion with him. 

“His effort was was good. He just didn’t have his head in the right space.”

Potentially saving Riki from a longer ban was Murray’s comment after the match that the shot got him in the chest and not the head.

Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell was charged with contrary conduct for sprinting into the subsequent melee to inflame the situation and was also binned.

Due to his poor judiciary record, he could be suspended for two matches but he is likely to cop a $3000 fine to ensure he is available for State of Origin selection.

Souths teammate Richard Kennar ($1000-$1500), Raiders centre Seb Kris ($1800-$2500) and Cowboys half Chad Townsend ($1800-$2500) have been fined for high tackle offences.

Earlier in the round, Dolphins winger Jack Bostock was pinged $1000-$1500 for a dangerous mid-air tackle on Sharks fullback Will Kennedy. 

Riki’s looming ban comes at a bad time for Brisbane with Origin adding to the workload of several star players and the team dropping out of the top eight following their third straight loss.

Walters insists there is no need for panic as Brisbane hunt a top-four finish, despite the loss leaving them with plenty of work to do.

Last year’s grand finalists are in a fight to keep pace with the league’s top teams, and the return of star man Adam Reynolds from a bicep rupture is two months away.

Walters refused to blame his side’s slump on the absence of Reynolds, or that the Broncos are have lacked the spark of dynamite fullback Reece Walsh in recent weeks.

Brisbane have a bye next week before a crucial fortnight against the Warriors and Penrith, where losses could spell the end of their top-four hopes for 2024.

But Walters remained adamant there was no need to be overly concerned with his side’s poor run of results, or the fact they will end this weekend out of the top eight.

“I’m going to stay on the front foot and be positive,” the Broncos coach said. 

“We’re not lacking in fitness. What’s letting us down is our our skill level, which everyone would agree is of a very high level. We’re just not doing the basics.

“I’m very confident. I’ve seen what these boys can do. It’s just their attitudes. We’re just not quite right at the moment. 

“But we’ll keep working on it. And when we get it right, you’ll all know. You’ll see it.”

with AAP