Nicho Hynes facing one-game suspension for hip-drop tackle in major Cronulla blow

Nicho Hynes looks set to miss Cronulla's elimination final against the Roosters after being handed a one-game suspension for a hip-drop tackle.

The halfback was placed on report during Saturday night's win over the Bulldogs and has since been slapped with a grade two dangerous contact charge.

The tackle left Marcelo Montoya with an injured ankle, forcing the Dogs winger from the field and placing him in doubt for their own finals game next weekend.

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Hynes will miss one match with an early guilty plea and risks a two-week ban should he fight the charge at the NRL judiciary and lose.

If he was to seek a downgrade and be successful, Hynes would escape with a fine.

"The thing that Nicho has in his favour is that it's a grade two - if he can convince the panel that it's a grade one and it's equivalent to some of the other grade one charges, it can be downgraded and it's a fine," Billy Slater said on Nine's Sunday Footy Show.

"It's a tough one, to play all year and then miss the game that you most want to play in, it's a tough situation for Nicho."

Andrew Johns admitted he would like to see things altered slightly at finals time.

"I'd like to see if someone gets a one-week suspension, they have a stay of proceedings like they do with the jockeys," the Knights legend said.

"Cameron Smith and Issac Luke missed a grand final for a short suspension."

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Teig Wilton was also charged by the match review committee for a careless high tackle on Lachlan Galvin, but will escape with a $1000 fine.

While the grading is up for the debate, Brad Fittler was critical of the tackle itself from Hynes and said it was a crystal-clear penalty.

"He put his hands around his hips and dropped, it's obvious," he said.

Johns was at a loss for how these types of tackles have crept into the game.

"I don't know when the technique of tackling someone from behind or from the side changed," he said.

"That was a simple right shoulder, cut him in half tackle - but the hip-drops happens when the defenders lose their legs and momentum brings them down." 

Hynes' potential absence could be offset by the return of Braydon Trindall from an ankle injury, which would likely see him partner Daniel Atkinson in the halves.