Late night text was real reason for Roosters’ $10k fine over Latrell Mitchell scandal

The NRL threw the book at the Roosters for the club’s explosion towards Latrell Mitchell. A telling text message has revealed another reason why.

Latrell Mitchell is in hot water over this ugly shot on Joey Manu.

The NRL integrity unit is continuing its investigation into the Roosters’ off-field explosion following Latrell Mitchell’s sickening shoulder charge on Joey Manu.

The South Sydney fullback was banned for the rest of the year after his high shot — but the real drama has surrounded the furious response from Roosters officials with claims of a sideline spray at match officials, Rabbitohs players and even a Channel 9 cameraman.

The NRL fined the Sydney Roosters a total $40,000 over the Roosters’ reactions, with $20,000 of the fine as a direct result of Trent Robinson’s post-match press conference where he suggested bunker official Henry Perenara was not competent enough to fulfil his role.

However, the NRL also fined the Roosters $10,000 for club staff abusing match officials during the match.

The remaining $10,000 has been suspended but will be incurred if the club “is found to have breached the NRL rules regarding public commentary on match officials” following further investigation by the NRL.

Referee Ashley Klein sends Latrell Mitchell of the Rabbitohs to the sin-bin.

It has now been revealed Roosters football boss Chris James was among the Roosters officials on the sidelines, according to The Australian.

The Sydney Morning Herald has now reported James - a former NRL referee - sent a “text message after the game to referees boss Jared Maxwell “denigrating” the performance of the match officials during the game.

the reports claim James is a figure being scrutinised in the integrity unit’s ongoing investigation.

On Sunday, it came to light that Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves had launched an expletive-laden tirade at Mitchell as the sin-binned fullback left the field.

According to Fox Sports reporter James Hooper, the altercation between Mitchell and Waerea-Hargreaves was “one of the most bitter and fiery feuds that we’ve seen on the field” in recent times.

“We know that Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is the Roosters’ enforcer and when Latrell was sin-binned, Jared took it very personally about what’d happened on the field,” Hooper told Fox League’s Big League Wrap.

NRL Roosters player, Joey Manu, post surgery after having his cheekbone broken in a tackle by Latrell Mitchell in last nights game against the Rabbitohs. Pic supplied

Roosters captain James Tedesco and Latrell Mitchell. NRL Imagery

“Given this is a 7pm timeslot … we’d better look after the expletive and colourful language but you can rest in no uncertain terms that Jared went at Latrell and gave it to him both barrels. A lot of adjectives, a lot of expletives.”

As revealed by The Daily Telegraph, Channel 9 has lodged an official complaint with the integrity unit following allegations Waerea-Hargreaves also swiped at a cameraman’s shoulder camera as he was trying to film Manu return to the sheds.

According to the NewsCorp report, players in the Roosters dugout were overheard calling Mitchell a “f***ing weak c***” as he left the field.

Originally published as Late night text was real reason for Roosters’ $10k fine over Latrell Mitchell scandal