Manly are expected to roll the dice and risk losing Anthony Watmough for two weeks in a bid to have the star backrower available against the Bulldogs on Saturday night.
It is understood Manly are leaning towards fronting the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night in the hope of getting Watmough off his grade one dangerous throw charge against South Sydney's Greg Inglis last Friday night.
Watmough will only miss one game with an early plea but will miss two games if they are unsuccessful in fighting the charge because of the loading from two prior charges in the last two years. It means Watmough won't play again this season unless Manly reach the grand final.
If Watmough had a clean record, the Sea Eagles second-rower would have been free to play with an early plea or only missed one game if he was unsuccessful in fighting the charge.
Sea Eagles officials were in meetings all afternoon on Monday trying to work out whether they would contest the charge, aware of how important the Test and Origin forward was to their hopes of overcoming Des Hasler's Bulldogs this weekend.
Manly skipper Jamie Lyon, who was also put on report for his involvement in the tackle on Inglis, was hit with a grade one dangerous throw charge but will escape suspension with an early plea.
The biggest loser out of Monday's match review committee findings was Cowboys enforcer Tariq Sims, who faces up to a seven-game ban for a shoulder charge on Broncos fullback Justin Hodges last Saturday night.
Sims is all but guaranteed to fight the charge in a hope to play again for the Cowboys this season before he departs for Newcastle in 2015.
An early guilty plea would see Sims rubbed out for five games, meaning he'll have to get it downgraded to a grade one shoulder charge to return if the Cowboys reach the grand final.
Hodges was taken out after he passed the ball, left bloodied and dazed on the sidelines after the collision with Sims.
However one thing in Sims' favour is the fact his shoulder didn't make contact with Hodges' head, rather it was a head clash that caused the laceration above Hodges' eye.
It was feared Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves would be banned from Friday night's showdown against the Cowboys at Allianz Stadium after a high tackle on Brent Kite last Saturday night.
However Waerea-Hargreaves escaped being charged for the tackle that resulted in Kite leaving the field under the concussion rule and will be free to line up for the reigning premiers.
Broncos five-eighth Ben Barba was hit with a grade one dangerous contact charge for unnecessary leg pressure on Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt on Saturday, but will be free to play in round one next season with an early plea.