Chambers suspended for knee lift on Cook

Queensland centre Will Chambers has been warned to change his running style after being charged over a knee lift that left NSW hooker Damien Cook with a suspected sternum injury in Wednesday night's Holden State of Origin opener at the MCG.

The Melbourne star could have escaped suspension with an early guilty plea after being charged with grade one dangerous contact but he has not contested the charge and will sit out this week's clash with Brisbane. 

Chambers has been put on notice following two similar incidents playing for Melbourne earlier this season. The Storm international is understood to have received a concerning act notice for his running technique but the match review committee was unable to charge him as his knee did not make contact with the tackling player.

However, Chambers struck Cook in the ribs after raising his right knee as he came into an attempted tackle by the Blues rookie in the 59th minute of the opening Origin match, won 22-12 by NSW.

Cook reeled out of the 59th-minute tackle in pain and Blues officials told reporters after the match that the South Sydney hooker would undergo scans for a sternum or rib injury.

The Rabbitohs reported on Thursday that Cook had been cleared of a serious injury and was available for Friday night's Telstra Premiership match against Gold Coast, along with fellow Origin representatives Greg Inglis, Dane Gagai and Angus Crichton.

The charge capped an unhappy night for Chambers, who dropped a pass from Storm teammate Felise Kaufusi with an overlap in the first half and missed a game high 10 tackles.

He unsuccessfully tried to engage NSW opposite Latrell Mitchell in a running battle but the Blues centre refused to be distracted and scored a try in his Origin debut while also having another disallowed late in the game.

Mitchell also made 11 tackle breaks and one line break.

Chambers carried the ball 131 metres in 11 runs and made one tackle break, while making 17 tackles.

The last player suspended for a knee lift was then Warriors centre Konrad Hurrell, who received a four match ban for an incident which left Cronulla forward Anthony Tupou with a broken jaw in 2015.

Hurrell, who now plays for the Titans, had received two previous warnings about his running style.

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