Brisbane Broncos icon Ali Brigginshaw is facing a major roadblock in her final NRLW season after being referred straight to the judiciary for a dangerous throw during her team's victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

The veteran playmaker was sent to the sin bin in the first half of Brisbane's dominant 34-4 Magic Round triumph after a tackle on Bulldogs halfback Tayla Preston. In the tackle, Preston was lifted, swung, and driven head-first into the turf. Fortunately, the Canterbury halfback avoided serious injury, but match officials took immediate action on the field.

Judiciary Showdown Awaits

Brigginshaw, 36, has been handed a grade three dangerous throw charge and will enter her plea on Tuesday night. With the charge carrying significant suspension time, the Broncos captain faces a multi-week stint on the sidelines during her swansong season before retirement.

Remarkably, Brigginshaw has never missed a single match for the Broncos since the NRLW competition launched in 2018. A ban would mark the first time Brisbane takes the field without their star leader in the club's history.

Impact on Championship Defense

While the reigning premiers maintained their unbeaten run to remain atop the NRLW ladder, losing Brigginshaw comes at a critical junction in their season schedule.

Brisbane is set to face the Canberra Raiders this week before embarking on a high-stakes Grand Final rematch against the Sydney Roosters and a local Queensland derby against the Gold Coast Titans.