Elliott Whitehead's NRL career looks over after hip-drop charge in Canberra’s 14-12 win over Sydney

Elliott Whitehead’s NRL career is all but over unless the Canberra captain can successfully overturn a four-match ban for a hip-drop tackle at the judiciary.

Just a day after fellow Raiders veteran Jordan Rapana’s NRL career was ended by a fractured cheekbone, Whitehead was handed three separate charges following Monday’s match review.

The England representative will be able to pay $3600 in fines for tripping James Tedesco and kicking out at Angus Crichton late in Canberra’s 14-12 win over the Sydney Roosters.

But the biggest punishment is for a hip-drop tackle on Brandon Smith, which is likely to rule the Roosters hooker out for the rest of the NRL season through injury.

Whitehead has been hit with a grade-three dangerous contact charge, resulting in a three-match ban with an early plea or four games if he elects to fight it and loses.

Given Whitehead has already agreed to return home to England at the end of this season, there is every chance the Raiders could fight the charge.

Canberra need something of a miracle to make the finals, first needing to beat St George Illawarra on Saturday and then hope Newcastle and the Dolphins draw on Sunday.

Whitehead’s ban would be a disappointing way for the 205-game veteran to go out, after being one of the Raiders’ most reliable players for the past decade.

His last act in the NRL would also be a post-match spat with Trent Robinson, after the Roosters coach accused him of being a serial hip-drop merchant on Sunday.

“I went to apologise, and he’s turned on me, so the way he’s done that I thought (he) was out of order,” Whitehead said.

Robinson was reluctant to address the incident in his own post-match press conference.

“He came up and just wanted to ask how Brandon was, and I just said it was too many times,” Robinson said.

“The hip-drop’s been pretty common in his game for a long time, and I just said it’s too many times. It’s cost us a player.”

Raiders teammates have since rushed to the defence of Whitehead, with fellow forward Joe Tapine adamant there is no malice in the Englishman’s game.

“He just competes, and sometimes in rugby league unfortunate things happen,” Tapine said.

“I don’t think anyone purposely goes out and hip drops anyone, because it is a really serious injury if you do it.

“I know Elliott doesn’t have that malice in him, it’s unfortunate.

“When you’re fatigued and trying to pull them down, sometimes you can fall in an awkward position. It’s just trying to avoid it is pretty tough.”

Tapine also said Rapana would be missed, after the 35-year-old spent Sunday night in a Sydney hospital, having previously signed with Hull FC for next year.

“I am shattered if that was his last game, but I am happy I got to share the field with him for so long,” Tapine said.

“Every game he is so competitive, he will blow up at anyone. It doesn’t matter who you are. But off field he is a legend of a bloke.”