Updated September 22, 2018 15:19:45

Melbourne Storm fullback Billy Slater has been charged with a grade one shoulder charge and will miss the grand final unless he successfully fights the charge at the NRL judiciary.

He was penalised for throwing his body at Sharks winger Sosaia Feki to save a try in the Storm's 22-6 preliminary final win.

The grade-one charge attracted 200 demerit points, enough to rule him out of next Sunday's decider against South Sydney or the Sydney Roosters, who play later today.

The Storm have indicated they will contest the charge in the hope of ensuring the retiring Slater finishes his career playing in the end-of-season showpiece, rather than watching from the sidelines.

The NRL have allowed the Storm the opportunity of holding the hearing earlier than the normal on Tuesday, in order to limit the distraction in grand final week.

The exact time of the hearing is yet to be determined.

Storm were 'not worried'

Photo: Billy Slater and the Melbourne Storm will have plenty to ponder ahead of the NRL judiciary hearing. (AAP: Daniel Pockett)

Slater said after the match he was not concerned that he would be charged over the tackle.

"I wasn't worried at the time," he said, without having seen a replay.

"When it was a penalty I thought what was the penalty for, but then I realised I got my body in an awkward position.

"It's pretty hard to make a conventional tackle when you're going across at top speed trying to save a try like that … It was just a collision."

He was also backed by coach Craig Bellamy, who had not seen replays when quizzed after the match.

"I didn't think straight away that I'm worried about that," Bellamy said.

"I didn't think there was too much in it from that.

"But having said that I haven't studied it closely."

Slater receives support from the Sharks

Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan agreed with his Storm counterpart, saying in his post-match press conference that Slater should not have a case to answer.

"I thought he had a hand in there actually, I just had a quick look at it then and I thought he hit him with one shoulder and one hand," Flanagan said.

"For his team he needs to save a try there and I think he did his best, so I'm not quite sure.

"100 percent he should be there, as I said in the game he runs across and I thought whether it was his right or left arm there in a push motion so he'll be there next week, or he should be."

Photo: Luke Lewis played his 324th and final NRL match in the preliminary final defeat against the Storm. (AAP: Hamish Blair)

Sharks legend Luke Lewis also came to the defence of Slater, implying the game's gone soft if the Melbourne superstar is banned for his farewell NRL grand final.

"What do you want him to do?" Lewis said.

"He's one of the best defensive fullbacks in the game and you have to stop a try and put your body on the line.

"If someone was to miss a game for something like that, I don't know what our game would be coming to. It's a contact sport.

"I don't think there was anything in it to be honest. If there's anyone I want see play on grand final day, it's Billy Slater."

Lewis and Slater remain close from their time together in Kangaroos camps, and both came into Friday's game with the potential of it being their last if their team lost given their impending retirements.

Panthers boss Phil Gould also weighed in on Slater's behalf, suggesting the shoulder-charge rule needed to be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

'That's a shoulder charge'

However, Slater's former Maroons teammate Johnathan Thurston and ex-player Andrew Johns were less certain of Slater's innocence, saying that, however harsh, the tackle was a shoulder charge.

"It is a shoulder charge as much as I hate to say it, but like you said, he's bracing for contact, what else can you do? Every coach wants you to show that kind of desperation," Thurston said.

Johns agreed, saying that although it was a call he disagreed with, the rules state that Slater should be ruled out.

"Unfortunately, it's going to be deemed as a shoulder charge, which I don't agree with, everyone else doesn't agree with, but they're the rules now," he said.

"It's desperation, this is what every teammate wants, it's what every coach wants, put your body on the line and stop your opposition scoring a try.

"But now the rules say you can't shoulder charge. If you're going by the letter of the law, that's a shoulder charge."

Slater would not be the first high profile player to be ruled out of a grand final in recent years.

Storm captain Cameron Smith missed the 2008 grand final due to a suspension.

Former South Sydney hooker Issac Luke is the last big name to be ruled out of a grand final at the judiciary after being charged with a dangerous throw in 2014.

AAP/ABC

Topics: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted September 22, 2018 12:40:06