Wayne Bennett fires up over tackle that concussed Adam Reynolds and lack of consistency relating to use of sin bin

Wayne Bennett has slammed the NRL over a dangerous lack of protection for vulnerable playmakers, and inconsistent use of the sin bin.

Coach Wayne Bennett has hit out at the NRL.

A bewildered Wayne Bennett has spoken out about a dangerous lack of protection for “vulnerable” NRL playmakers being targeted while kicking the ball.

And the South Sydney coach has also hit out at the glaring lack of consistency relating to the use of the sin bin.

It comes after another round of concussion controversy that has left Rabbitohs captain Adam Reynolds and Penrith’s Nathan Cleary racing the clock for their respective round three blockbusters.

On a drama-charged weekend, Parramatta’s Ryan Matterson was also knocked senseless after copping an ugly elbow from Melbourne’s Felise Kaufusi.

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Rabbitohs captain Adam Reynolds is in danger of missing his side’s Round 3 clash.

Matterson is considered little chance of playing Cronulla on Saturday given his worrying concussion history, while Reynolds and Cleary need to go through NRL concussion protocols before a decision is made on their availability.

Reynolds’ Rabbitohs go up against the Sydney Roosters on Friday and Cleary’s Panthers take on the Storm in Thursday’s grand final rematch.

Bennett was confident Reynolds would be right to play against the Roosters but says “it is the principle” that made him question if enough is being done to protect the game’s “most vulnerable players”.

“Our administrators continually talk about protecting the kickers on one hand and the issue of concussion on the other hand,” Bennett said.

“Adam was afforded no protection by the game.”

With Kaufusi now facing a two-to-three week ban for a grade two dangerous contact charge, Canterbury’s Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was on Sunday slapped with a grade two careless high tackle charge, which will result in a two-to-three week suspension for the shot on Cleary.

But the NRL’s match review committee determined Manly’s Sean Keppie did not warrant a charge for his tackle that concussed Reynolds.

And while there was outrage that Kaufusi was not sin binned on Thursday night, confusion escalated on Saturday when Watene-Zelezniak was binned for his shot on Cleary — but Keppie wasn’t so much as penalised for knocking Reynolds out of the game following a kick with a tackle Bennett deemed “a head high”.

Nathan Cleary is another in doubt for Round 3. Picture: Getty Images

Clearly confused, Bennett fired: “At the end of the day his head hit the ground.

“His courage got him up to make the next tackle (on Dylan Walker).

“But then he had to be taken from the field because he wobbled.

“Under the current rules he was not allowed back on the field. But for the player involved (Keppie) there is no action.

“This is the contradiction and this is where the game has to improve itself.”

Adding to Bennett’s frustration was the fact Latrell Mitchell was earlier sin binned for an incident Fox League expert Braith Anatsa questioned was even worthy of a penalty.

Mitchell lightly bumped Daly Cherry-Evans who was chasing after a kick with the bunker judging it a professional foul, even though Cherry-Evans appeared to have no chance of winning the race for the ball.

The Manly skipper even gave a sheepish smile when replays highlighted how insignificant the contact was.

“So Latrell does 10 minutes (in the bin) but this other tackle doesn’t even warrant a penalty?” Bennett continued.

“I certainly agree with the rule relating to a professional foul if it is an obstruction that prevents the guy getting to the ball and scoring the try.

Ryan Matterson is attended to by a team trainer after a head knock. Picture: Getty Images

“But in this case that wasn’t going to happen.

“Then Adam Reynolds gets hit in a head high tackle when he was kicking … yet there was no action.

“If that tackle is not perfected on him his head doesn’t hit the ground. That is the issue.

“The game continually talks to us about these concussion issues. But the bottom line is they have to police them consistently.

“These guys, the kickers, they are in the air and off balance. They need to be protected.

“They are the most vulnerable players at the moment on the field.

“And the other thing that is obvious now is that kickers are being taken out more than ever to stop them kick chasing as well.

“They have cleaned up the area where the receiver can’t be taken out in the air.

“But the kickers are still not being protected enough.”

NRL head of football Graham Annesley on Sunday that he would seek an urgent meeting with new referees’ boss Jared Maxwell to try and iron out growing confusion about what constitutes a sin bin and what doesn’t.

Originally published as Wayne Bennett fires up over tackle that concussed Adam Reynolds and lack of consistency relating to use of sin bin