Adam Blair may have played his last game for Melbourne after he was offered a two-game ban for striking and referred to the judiciary on a separate charge along with Manly's Glenn Stewart, as the match review committee handed down its findings from Friday's fiery game at Brookvale Oval.
But Brett Stewart, who was the third man in with a flying punch on Blair as he and Stewart's brother Glenn went toe-to-toe on the sideline soon after being sin-binned, can escape with a one-game ban.
Brett Stewart would have been facing as many as three games out with an unsuccessful judiciary challenge but received an extra 25 percent discount courtesy of a clean record over the past seven years.
Sea Eagles youngster Darcy Lussick will miss at least three games after being charged with striking for being one of the other four Manly players that set upon Blair when he was fighting with Glenn Stewart, leading to both subsequently being sent off.
Like Brett Stewart, Kieran Foran can halve a two-game ban for getting involved and Michael Robertson will escape a suspension even if he fights his grade one charge and loses.
Storm bench player Sisa Waqa faces two games on the sidelines but can reduce it to one with a guilty plea for coming to Blair's aid while his team-mates Sika Manu and Jaiman Lowe will also be outed for one unless they successfully challenge detrimental conduct charges.
Like Robertson, Melbourne forward Bryan Norrie can avoid a ban for his involvement in the melee.
With his suspension to be two games for the punch he landed on Lussick in the initial brawl, Blair would only have to be outed for two more games on top to potentially miss the rest of 2011 ahead of his move to the Wests Tigers.
Tempers boiled over the first time when Ryan Hinchcliffe got up and played the ball after being tackled and then struck Lussick in the upper chest with a forearm, with players coming from all directions when Lussick retaliated.
Blair and Glenn Stewart were given 10 minutes in the sin bin for their part in that first scuffle and met each other at the sideline on their way from the field.
An initial smile from Blair as they exchanged words quickly turned ugly when Blair shoved Stewart and he responded by swinging a punch, with the pair trading blows before Brett Stewart, Lussick, Foran and Robertson all arrived on the scene to support their team-mate.
The NRL also announced on Monday afternoon that the clubs have been fined $50,000 each for the brawls on Friday in a game the Sea Eagles went on to win 18-4.