England prop George Burgess admitted his career is in the balance as he was handed a nine-match ban for eye-gouging a former team-mate.
The South Sydney front rower was found guilty of the offence against ex-Rabbitoh Robbie Farrah in Friday’s NRL clash with Wests Tigers.
Burgess, 27, swore on his “kids’ lives” that he didn’t intentionally gouge Farrah, but pleaded guilty to the dangerous contact charge.
He could have been suspended for up to 15 games after a previous, four-match gouging ban while playing for England against New Zealand last year.
But it is still the longest suspension the NRL has handed out since national team-mate James Graham got 12 games for biting Billy Slater in the 2012 Grand Final.
It means that Burgess will miss the remainder of Souths’ league matches this season and only be available if they make the play-offs.
It also makes a call-up for Great Britain this autumn hugely unlikely and with no contract for 2020 currently signed, places doubts over his future Down Under.
Burgess told the disciplinary hearing: “My career is probably in the balance. What I've done looks pretty disgraceful on the footage there - it’s a shame really.
“I apologised to Robbie on the field and after the game I went up to him and apologised again.”
On the incident itself, Burgess said: “Things are going a million miles an hour. I swear on my kids' lives I didn't know I had my hands in his eyes.
“That was the most careless thing about the tackle, I was going in blind with my hands.
“I won't accept that I deliberately went out to poke his eye, I just can't accept that - it’s not the kind of person I am.”
Burgess had already been offered to rival clubs before the incident, but Souths chief executive Shane Richardson offered him some hope after the hearing.
Richardson said: “It’s a tragedy for George and the family. George is a loving father; brother and son.
“He’s been an ornament at South Sydney - it will not define his career.”
While Burgess sits the rest of the league season out, teenage Englishman Herbie Farnworth is set for his first NRL opportunity at weekend.
Winger Farnworth will make his Brisbane Broncos debut against Cronulla on Sunday having been on the books at Manchester United as a youngster before moving Down Under.
