CANTERBURY captain James Graham is free to line up in next week’s elimination final against Penrith after being cleared of a kicking charge by the NRL match review committee.

Graham escaped charge for an ugly looking incident in which he almost came to blows with English Test teammate Sam Burgess in the Bulldogs’ 28-10 loss on Friday night to South Sydney.

After Burgess came in late to hit Graham with a “prowler” tackle, the Dogs’ skipper lashed out with a leg.

He avoided a charge because he did not make contact with Burgess, with whom he had a running battle for most of the night. Afterwards, Burgess said he didn’t want to see Graham miss his side’s week-one final against the Panthers and would be happy if no action was taken.

Round 20

James Graham after a Souths try. Source: News Corp Australia

“It didn’t get me,” Burgess said.

“I don’t want to see him miss any games.

“Look, it’s a battle out there and we’re both competitive blokes and it’s going to boil over.

Meanwhile, firebrand David Klemmer is likely to receive a warning from the NRL after he was accused of throwing a water bottle at an opponent.

The NRL is investigating the Friday night incident, which happened after fulltime in the Bulldogs’ 28-10 loss to South Sydney, in which Klemmer hurled the bottle from behind the goal posts in the direction of the Rabbitohs’ Nathan Brown.

As Brown lined up a conversion attempt, a frustrated Klemmer hurled the bottle, which landed short of Souths players.

It did not strike anyone and Klemmer was not charged by the NRL match review committee on Saturday, but he’s likely to receive a concerning act notice next week.

Brown said he didn’t see the bottle being thrown, but teammates made him aware of it.

“I didn’t take any notice, but all the boys were saying someone threw a bottle or something,” Brown said.

James Graham of the Bulldogs, (centre), is put on report. Source: AAP

Asked if it came from the Bulldogs, Brown said: “I think so. I don’t know about that one. That was a weird one.” Souths prop George Burgess was suspended for two weeks in 2015 for throwing a bottle at Sydney Roosters’ Kane Evans, causing him to miss his side’s week-one finals loss to Cronulla.

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The difference between the two incidents is Burgess hurled the bottle while sitting on the bench and the NRL frowned on him getting involved while not on the field.

“I didn’t even take notice, to be honest,” Brown said.

“Someone said it was George after what he did last year.

“Everyone took it as a bit of a laugh.

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