Dubbo CYMS captain-coach Jarryn Powyer is remaining positive ahead of his trip to the Group 11 judiciary.
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The Fishies prop was placed on report inside the first five minutes of Saturday's major semi-final clash with Wellington.
CYMS went on to win the gripping match 28-22 and advanced to a ninth straight grand final but Powyer faces a nervous wait after a high shot on Steve Gordon.
There was no malice to Powyer's hit, but he clipped Gordon's jaw and that combined with the former Knights' head hitting the turf left him unconscious for a number of minutes.
Gordon was transported from the ground via and ambulance, before later being given the all clear, and Powyer felt the hospitalisation made the incident look worse than it was.
"It was dramatised because the ambulance was called," he said.
"I've come over the back and as I was falling down I saw his head fly into the ground. It was certainly a hard hit into the ground but I don't think there's too much too worry about, to be honest."
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Cowboys coach Justin Toomey-White opted not to comment on the matter too much, while many Cowboys fans at the times of the incident called for a send-off.
Powyer stayed on the field after referee Willy Barnes put him on report, and Toomey-White did state there was no real benefit for his side as it was left a man short for the rest of the contest.
"I'll leave that to the officials," Toomey-White said.
"It didn't benefit us in the long run but at the end of the day we still had three fresh men on the bench at that stage.
"I'll let the officials make that ruling."
The Cowboys had a number of chances in the match, and could have levelled up with give minutes to go only for Brock Naden's shot at penalty goal from the right of the sticks hitting the upright and falling wide.
Naden only had the kicking duties after Mason Williams suffered a niggling knee injury in the first half.
He finished the match but is one of a number of concerns Toomey-White has in the lead-up to next weekend's preliminary final.
Jack Kempston is another major worry after he failed to feature in the second half due to a shoulder injury, while fellow back-rower Tristan Lumley didn't play in the major semi-final at all because of an injury suffered the prior week against Nyngan.
"It's a battle of the fittest," the Cowboys said.
"We'll make sure we get the boys sorted and get those little niggling injuries right for next week."
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
