Dyldam Parramatta Eels second-rower Manu Ma’u has tonight been found not guilty of a dangerous contact charge at the NRL judiciary.

Ma’u was charged for Grade 1 - Dangerous Contact (Head/Neck) following a tackle on Josh Aloiai in the 58th minute of the Eels’ Round 4 win over the Wests Tigers, and would have missed two weeks of competition if he had accepted an early guilty plea or had his challenge rejected by the judiciary.

“I’m just happy to be able to play on Sunday with the boys against the Panthers,” Ma’u said after the hearing.

“I’m grateful to the panel for hearing me out, and also to Josh [Aloiai] for making the effort to come and tell his side of the story. I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure we put in a strong performance against Penrith.”

Ma’u is named to play in the second row for the Blue and Gold in Sunday’s Battle of the West against the Penrith Panthers on Sunday, April 3. Click through to see the full team list.