Bennett defends Mitchell tackle, slams Rabbitohs’ performance in win vs Tigers
South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett defended Latrell Mitchell’s tackle that resulted in an eight-point attempt for the Wests Tigers during his post-match press conference following his team’s 20-16 victory in Gosford on Saturday night. The incident, occurring just before halftime, saw Mitchell make high contact with Tigers player Heamasi Makasini whereas attempting to prevent a try.
The Bunker ruled that Mitchell used a “swinging arm” and made contact to the head of Makasini, awarding the Tigers two penalty goals in addition to the four points for the try, giving them a 14-12 lead at the break. Bennett, however, expressed his disagreement with the decision, arguing that Mitchell was attempting to dislodge the ball.
“Latrell didn’t deliberately play at his head, he played at the ball,” Bennett stated, as reported by Fox Sports. “He tried to get the ball and knock it out of his hands, so I thought it was harsh. But maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know what else he can do there. There was obviously a penalty there, but I think it’s added two points to it. That was my feeling on it.”
Bennett further drew a comparison to an earlier incident in the match involving Tigers player Jye Gray, who received a penalty after being hit in the head. “The same thing happened with Jye Gray, he got hit in the head and we got a penalty for that,” Bennett said. “Jye probably got hit harder than what Makasini did.”
The NRL Match Review Committee subsequently charged Mitchell with a Grade 1 careless high tackle, resulting in a $1000 fine. Api Koroisau as well received a $1800 fine for a dangerous contact charge on Jye Gray, according to reports.
Bennett’s assessment of the match extended beyond the controversial try, revealing his overall dissatisfaction with his team’s performance. When asked for his thoughts on the game, Bennett responded curtly, “Not much.” He deflected further questioning about his side’s defensive efforts, directing reporters to captain Cameron Murray.
“You haven’t got the message yet have you? I’m not pleased,” Bennett continued. “Nothing pleased me. The only thing that pleased me was when Moala came off and gave me the chocolates around his neck.”
Despite his criticism, Bennett acknowledged the performance of fullback Jye Gray, praising his ability to consistently win contests against larger opponents. “It’s quite remarkable what he does and how he gets it done,” Bennett said. “He’s got confidence in himself and belief in himself. He knows he’s going to have bigger guys jumping on him, so he’s honed his technique to be able to handle that situation. He does it really well.”
Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray echoed Bennett’s sentiments, admitting the team’s performance was below par. “I don’t think it was a step forward,” Murray said. “Poor clinically from us, I think, the discipline wasn’t quite there. But some of those games you just need to uncover a way to win. I think we did that tonight.”