NRL fines Roosters, Trent Robinson as fallout from Latrell Mitchell-Joey Manu incident continues
The NRL has come down hard on Trent Robinson and Roosters as the fallout from Latrell Mitchell’s horror shot on Joey Manu continues.
NRL
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The NRL has fined the Sydney Roosters a whopping $40,000 after Friday night’s controversial game against Souths in Brisbane.
The financial penalties were handed down on Monday afternoon for the alleged abuse of match officials during the game and contentious post-match comments by coach Trent Robinson.
An NRL statement read: “The breach notice proposes a $10,000 fine for alleged abuse of match officials during the match, a $20,000 fine for comments made by the head coach Trent Robinson following the match and a suspended $10,000 fine will also be activated, if the Club is found to have breached NRL Rules regarding public commentary on match officials.”
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It is alleged Roosters officials made abusive comments towards on-field match officials and the stand-by referee during the match.
“The club has also been warned that a repeat of such conduct will result in individuals having their access to the sideline removed during the finals series,” the statement read.
It has also been alleged, according to the NRL, that Robinson claimed “match officials had a bias against his side and exposed individual match officials to personal ridicule in contravention of NRL rules.
“In considering the penalty the NRL took into account Robinson had been issued with a Breach Notice for similar conduct in May this year for which a suspended $10,000 fine was imposed,” the statement said.
“The NRL is continuing to investigate allegations a Sydney Roosters player (Jared Waerea-Hargreaves) had an altercation with a broadcast cameraman during the game. No determination has been made at this time.”
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo called for a “higher level of professionalism” from an NRL club.
“Sport can be highly emotional and sometimes people will debate decisions made on the field and we expect all Clubs to deal with on-field matters respectfully,” Abdo said.
“We can analyse and debate decisions, but such commentary should not be personalised and disrespectful. In our view there was a lack of professionalism shown by the club and its officials across Friday night. We’re an elite competition and we should set the standard for how to deal with adversity.
“There is no place for the abuse or harassment of match officials by club officials on the sideline. It’s not tolerated in community sport and it’s certainly not tolerated in elite sport. It is important that at the highest level all Club officials control their emotions and set an example to everyone in our sport.
“We will not hesitate to remove the sideline access of any official who repeatedly makes abusive comments towards our match officials.”
Abdo admitted the NRL had blundered in failing to immediately identify Latrell Mitchell’s heavy hit on Roosters centre Joey Manu.
“We believe the bunker should have dismissed the player from the field. We have been very open about that and we acted quickly to amend the match appointments for the remainder of the round,” Abdo said.
“But regardless of their decisions, right or wrong, our match officials are always entitled to the respect of our participants for the difficult work they do.”
It can also be revealed that a high-profile Roosters official is alleged to have abused Rabbitohs forward Jaydn Su’A at halftime at Suncorp Stadium, branding him a thug in full view of the Souths bench.
The Sydney Roosters have five business days to respond to their breach notice.
Mitchell’s season is officially over but the fallout from Friday night continues amid fresh revelations the NRL will investigate this week.
Mitchell entered an early guilty plea to a high tackle charge on Sunday morning, bringing an end to his season after he was suspended for six matches.
It is understood he has begun the process of healing by reaching out to former teammate Joey Manu in an attempt to repair any damage that was done to their relationship on Friday night.
Manu is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery to repair a badly fractured eye socket.
It was when Mitchell attempted to see Manu straight after the game that he was told to clear off by Waerea-Hargreaves as he made his way towards the tunnel entry to the Roosters sheds.
Waerea-Hargreaves declined to comment on their interaction on Sunday but Souths insiders insist their exchange was anything but pleasant, prompting Mitchell to suggest the Roosters enforcer was hardly the type to sit in judgment.
Once a treasured teammate, angry players in the Sydney Roosters dugout also launched a tirade against Mitchell, calling him a “f…ing weak c….”
Multiple sideline sources revealed senior Roosters players on the bench, led by Waerea-Hargreaves, launched into Mitchell several times.
Mitchell is understood to have heard Waerea-Hargreaves’ insults. Injured forwards Angus Crichton and Victor Radley were other players understood to have verbally targeted Mitchell.
Fox Sports sideline commentator and former Test forward Corey Parker revealed the powder keg moment when irate Roosters players started castigating their former premiership-winning teammate.
Parker said Roosters coach Trent Robinson, sitting sideline, was forced to calm Hargreaves.
Parker’s comments on the night prompted Fox commentator and former NRL champion Greg Alexander to claim the Roosters bench wanted to “storm the field.”
“Jared, Victor Radley, Angus Crichton, every one of them were up on their feet. When Latrell got marched for 10 (in the sin bin), they were pretty vocal. When Latrell walked off the field around the 40 metre line, closer to the Roosters end, they didn’t miss him. They were livid and rightly so,” Parker said.
“I know for a fact that Latrell heard Jared. Jared is a mate of mine and I would have done the same thing. Jared was on the sideline giving it to Latrell.
“’Robbo’ then came in and put his hand on Jared and said: ‘No, no, it’s all right, mate.’
“Robbo’ then looked at Latrell and put his hand up to say: ‘All good, keep going.’ As soon as Manu went down, every Roosters player was up.
“The reality is, if Jared, Angus or Victor were on the field, at the field at the time, they would have lost their shit.
“It was extremely heated on the sideline. It was emotional and tensions were running high, absolutely. I’ve never experienced it before on the sidelines. I was riding it, the way it unfolded.”
Mitchell further infuriated Roosters players after scoring his second try when slamming the ball hard down next to Roosters player Fletcher Baker, who was laying on the ground.
“When Latrell came back on and threw the ball down, when he was walking back while ‘Reyno’ (Adam Reynolds) was kicking the goal, they were on the sideline again just giving it to him, about eight, 10 players, they were into him,” Parker said.
“The Book of Feuds, the rivalry, it all went into it.”
Waerea-Hargreaves’ manager, Steve Gillis, was unaware of any drama between his client and Mitchell.
Gillis did say: “Jared is like a guardian for all the players. He watches over them. They all look up to him.”
‘You can’t do that’: Teddy’s blunt warning to Trell
— Paul Crawley
Sydney Roosters skipper James Tedesco has issued a blunt warning to Latrell Mitchell: “You don’t want to be breaking people’s faces” — and it doesn’t matter if it’s an accident or not.
Tedesco’s caution comes as the under fire South Sydney star reached out to a shattered Joey Manu via a text message in the wake of his shocking high tackle that left the Roosters strike centre needing surgery for a fractured cheekbone.
Mitchell is expected to make a statement in the coming days but Souths officials on Sunday pulled down the shutters, refusing to make any public comments after accepting Mitchell’s early guilty plea for a six-match ban.
Tedesco said he wasn’t sure if the two players, known to be good mates, had yet spoken.
Mitchell’s suspension means Souths will now have to call up youngster Blake Taaffe to fill the No. 1 jumper for this Saturday’s final round clash with St George Illawarra ahead of the finals.
Meanwhile, the Roosters are still awaiting a decision from the NRL as to whether coach Trent Robinson will be fined for his post match spray directed at bunker official Henry Perenara.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo will be the sole person in charge of making that decision on Monday, with the expectation Robinson is going to cop a significant whack.
And given he already has a suspended $10,000 for a post match blow up earlier this year, that’s expected to be at least doubled, although Abdo on Sunday gave no indication.
Tedesco said he expected Robinson would be fined but he certainly backed his coach for sticking up for his players, while handing over some of his own advice to his former teammate.
While Tedesco was adamant he did not think Mitchell set out to intentionally injure Manu, he said that doesn’t take away from the damage the tackle has done.
“It happens pretty quick when you are a fullback and Latrell I don’t think would do it on purpose,” Tedesco said.
“But it is forceful contact to the head.
“Whether that is accidental or not, it forces someone to break a fair amount of bones in his face.
“You just can’t do that.”
This was Mitchell’s ninth guilty charge for illegal play since 2018, which is equal second most in the NRL behind Josh McGuire (13).
To put that further in perspective it’s the same amount of sanctions as enforcers such as Victor Radley, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dylan Napa and Jack Hetherington.
In fact, it’s unheard of for a fullback to cop that many charges and it only adds to the reputation that Latrell’s on field behaviour is bordering on out-of-control.
Tedesco, with his usual diplomacy and dignity, certainly didn’t go that far, saying that he “loved playing with Latrell” but conceded that he also walked a fine line because of his desire to dominate.
“He has just got to be careful I guess because he has got in trouble with it before, making contact to the head, and it has happened again,” Tedesco continued.
“He’s just got to learn a lesson from that.
“He plays with fire and passion and that is what makes him such a great player.
“But you have to find that balance of not overstepping the line.
“I don’t think you want to be breaking people’s faces.”
Tedesco also expressed his regret at not calling for on field referee Ashley Klein to immediately send off Mitchell instead of using the sin bin.
If that had occurred it may well have saved his coach from feeling compelled to stick up for his players like he did.
Not that anyone at the club is angry at Robinson for saying what most in the game believe to be bang on the money about the confusion surrounding foul play punishment.
“No one really knows what’s a send off, what’s a sin bin,” said Drew Hutchison said.
“As a head coach it would be pretty frustrating. As a player it’s quite frustrating.”
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