The Melbourne Storm is hoping to unearth a TV angle that will allow star fullback Billy Slater to escape a third NRL suspension this year.

Slater has been hit with a grade one striking charge from Saturday's 46-4 thumping of the Wests Tigers after he dropped his forearm into the head of opposing fullback Shannon McDonnell.

As Slater has already served two suspensions this season, totalling nine matches, he had 63 carry-over points added to the charge, meaning he will be sidelined for two matches whether he takes an early guilty plea or is unsuccessful in challenging the charge at the judiciary.

Storm football manager Dean Lance is aiming to contact NRL judiciary official Nathan McGuirk in the hope of obtaining additional TV footage of the incident that could help exonerate Slater.

"We don't know what we're doing yet," said Lance.

"I've got to get in touch with Nathan McGuirk from the judiciary and see if I can get some more angles of it and we're going to make a decision on it tomorrow.

"Billy's going to sleep on it tonight.

"Billy is disappointed in the fact this has happened and the club is disappointed but there's not much we can do about it.

"He works very hard to get the intensity up in his game and I'd be disappointed if he did anything other than that."

With competition fierce for spots in the white-hot Storm backline, Slater can ill-afford a third enforced stint on the sidelines, with Queensland Origin star Greg Inglis itching to get another crack at fullback.

"Billy's got a spot and he's going really well because he knows there's a kid who would jump at his spot if he got the chance," said Lance.

"It's adding to that competition for spots which is what good clubs and good teams are all about."

Newcastle captain Andrew Johns was also charged with striking opposite number Josh Lewis in the Knights' 32-18 win over the Sydney Roosters in Gosford on Sunday but will escape punishment with an early guilty plea.

Tigers five-eighth Shane Elford was the third player handed a grade one striking charge and will also escape suspension with an early guilty plea.

The Storm's Brett White and South Sydney's Peter Cusack were both charged with grade one careless high tackles and will also escape bans with early pleas.

Meanwhile, scans have confirmed Knights prop Craig Smith has a broken jaw and will be sidelined for three to four weeks.

"He played for probably 15 minutes with a broken jaw until halftime so he was quite courageous," Knights coach Michael Hagan said.

North Queensland centre Paul Bowman could be forced into early retirement with a neck injury after he withdrew from the Cowboys side thrashed 54-14 by the Bulldogs on Saturday following a meeting with a neurosurgeon.

The former Queensland Origin representative has a disc protrusion in his neck and will be rested for a month before undergoing further tests.

"There's two choices. Get the surgery and I'll definitely be playing next year or I might have to retire," Bowman told AAP.

Newcastle is likely to have Kurt Gidley (knee) back for Friday's match against Manly and St George Illawarra's Mark Gasnier (calf) has been cleared to play in Sunday's blockbuster against the Bulldogs.

Manly's Brent Kite (concussion) has resumed training with the Sea Eagles after copping the brunt of the tackle that resulted in Parramatta's Fuifui Moimoi being sent-off in round 21.

Kite is rated an outside chance to face the Knights.

And the NRL has confirmed Olympic Park as the venue for Melbourne's round 26 clash with Manly.

A double booking with a school athletics carnival at the ground had caused the venue for the match to be listed as "to be confirmed".

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