Sam Burgess' ban is light by NRL standards Poor judiciary record: Sam Burgess has faced sanction for on-field incidents four times this year. England forward Sam Burgess would have been banned for up to eight matches in the NRL for his high shot on Australia's Sam Thaiday and even with the World Cup's more lenient judiciary rules the South Sydney star still would have been sidelined for three games. Burgess, who was lucky not to be sent off for the second half tackle in the tournament opener at Millennium Stadium, escaped with just a one match suspension as his NRL disciplinary record was not considered by the World Cup match review panel. The 24-year-old was hit with a grade A high tackle charge - indicating the panel considered the swing arm that forced Thaiday from the field and has left him in doubt for the Kangaroos next match against Fiji as being merely careless. However, Fairfax Media understands that if the tackle had come before the NRL match review committee, they would have ruled the tackle to be reckless and considered it a grade-two offence. As a result, Burgess would have been facing a base penalty of 350 demerit points, which equates to a three-match suspension. But with his poor judiciary record, which includes three previous suspensions this season, Burgess would have been received a ban of six matches if he pleaded guilty and eight matches had he unsuccessfully attempted to fight the charge or grading at the NRL tribunal. Burgess's latest offence will be added to his NRL judiciary record and increase the loading on any future charge by 20 per cent to 50 per cent, depending if he is charged with a high tackle or another offence in the next 12 months. He will also attract loading for the other offences he has committed this season - a high shot on Sydney Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce, a crusher tackle on Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita and his infamous squirrel grip on Melbourne centre Will Chambers. Since joining the Rabbitohs in 2010, Burgess has been charged six times by the NRL match review committee. However, those offences weren't taken into account at the World Cup as all players come into the tournament with a clean slate - as they do at the FIFA World Cup and Rugby World Cup - due to the fact they are drawn from a variety competitions with different judiciary systems. As a result, a player's loading and carry-over points from the NRL do not exist and penalties are handed down in the number of games they are suspended rather than demerit points which are calculated to determine the length of a suspension in the NRL. If a player pleads not guilty, his case will be heard by a World Cup judiciary panel, while any charge carrying a suspension of three matches or more is automatically referred to a hearing. Burgess will miss England's match against Ireland and is free to return in their final pool game against Fiji before a likely quarter-final clash against either Samoa or France. Papua New Guinea hooker Paul Aiton is also in line for a one-match ban for a high tackle on Morgan Escare in the 76th minute of the Kumul's loss to France.