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Waerea-Hargreaves cops big ban after milestone game

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves' milestone match has been soured with the Sydney Roosters firebrand facing as many as four games under suspension.

Waerea-Hargreaves entered the history books as the most-capped Sydney Roosters player of all time on Sunday but found himself sin-binned for making high shoulder contact with St George Illawarra's Max Feagai during the first half.

Feagai was able to finish the game, with Waerea-Hargreaves returning to inspire a 42-12 thrashing of the Dragons in his 307th Roosters appearance.

On Monday, the match review committee handed Waerea-Hargreaves a grade-two careless high tackle charge, which would normally carry a one-match ban with an early guilty plea.

But given his' extensive judiciary record, the prop is now at risk of having his final NRL season severely curtailed.

The 35-year-old will miss three games, against Melbourne, Manly and the Dolphins, if he accepts an early guilty plea but risks missing a fourth against Parramatta by challenging the charge.

Given the Roosters have two byes in the coming weeks, Waerea-Hargreaves will not return until round 24 with an early guilty plea, or round 25 if he loses at the judiciary.

Waerea-Hargreaves' likely absence also looms as a blow to the Roosters' hopes of confirming a top-four spot.

Terrell May appears likely to come into the front row as his replacement against the Storm this weekend, with Naufahu Whyte the likeliest man to join the Roosters' bench.

Elsewhere, Cronulla utility Siosifa Talakai will miss Friday's game against Wests Tigers after accepting a one-match ban for hitting Sam Verrills high in the Sharks' 20-16 loss to Gold Coast.