As well as losing their State of Origin players, Melbourne will be without captain Christian Welch this weekend after he was suspended for his hip-drop style tackle in the Storm's demolition of Cronulla.
The one-match ban dashed Welch's hopes of being promoted from Queensland's 19th man to the playing side for Game II of the series, where the Maroons have the chance to secure the shield with a match in hand.
An ankle injury to Jai Arrow opened a spot in the middle forwards for the clash at Suncorp Stadium on June 21, but given the form of rival props Mo Fotuaika and Corey Horsburgh, the Storm skipper was no guarantee of a call-up.
Referee Ashley Klein sin-binned Welch in the final five minutes of Melbourne's 54-10 victory on Sunday for bringing rival prop Royce Hunt down in an awkward position and landing on his lower leg.
The shot left Hunt in visible pain and needing to leave the field.
"My first concern was with the player, I just hope he's all right," Welch said post-match.
"Obviously, you don't go out there to injure someone like that."
The match review committee charged Welch with grade-two dangerous contact on Monday morning and offered a one-match ban that will be increased to two games if the 28-year-old unsuccessfully pleads his case at the judiciary.
The ban comes as the Storm prepare to lose Queensland representatives Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and Xavier Coates for Saturday's away match against Wests Tigers.
The trio is expected to be named in Billy Slater's squad on Monday, with Coates set to earn a call-up after incumbent winger Selwyn Cobbo aggravated his hip injury in Brisbane's win over Newcastle on Saturday.
Welch's shot is the latest instance of the hip-drop tackle, an illegal move defined by a player swinging around onto a defender's lower legs as they are brought to the ground.
Capable of causing serious injury, the move has crept back into the NRL this season but players and coaches have repeatedly denied it is ever intentional.
Welch did not believe he had landed directly on Hunt's leg but conceded the shot did look dangerous.
"I think I landed on the ground first," he said.
"It was a bit of an ugly tackle."
