Billy Slater cleared of any wrongdoing from origin II; free to play for Melbourne Storm this weekend Mitchell Pearce and Billy Slater exchange pleasantries during Wednesday night's Origin II. SOME jilted NSW fans called Billy Slater's errant elbow on Blues halfback Mitchell Pearce the "catalyst" for the fight that ended with four players in the sin-bin at Suncorp Stadium last night. The Maroons and Melbourne Storm fullback was penalised and put on report for lashing out at Pearce after being tackled close to his own try-line. But the NRL judiciary last night deemed it accidental and Slater is free to play for his club against the Wests Tigers on Saturday. NSW prop Trent Merrin is the only man set to miss any football, facing one-match ban for his shot on the chin of Queenslander Brent Tate. He was also sent from the field, along with his Maroons teammate Justin Hodges and Blues firebrand Greg Bird, despite the latter's protests that he didn't throw a punch. The referees hard-line stance has sparked widespread debate over whether it was an overreaction to NSW skipper Paul Gallen's one-tow punch in Game One. Greats of the game have called for a an open discussion with players and fans as to what place the "biff" has in rugby league and whether last night's reaction has turned the game soft.