Knights Copped Another Blow as Mooney Suspended; Mitchell and Six Others Fined
The Newcastle Knights are facing a mounting injury crisis, with front-rower Trey Mooney the latest to be sidelined after copping a one-game suspension stemming from the team’s recent loss to the Warriors. The incident, which occurred late in the match, saw Mooney sin-binned for dangerous contact with Tanah Boyd as the Warriors halfback was in the act of kicking.
Mooney was observed to have run out of the defensive line, appearing to shoulder-charge Boyd while the kick was being executed. Compounding the offence, Mooney also ran through Boyd’s kicking leg, a manoeuvre that has been heavily discouraged and penalised in recent seasons to protect player safety.
Following a review by the match review committee on Sunday, Mooney’s actions were classified as a Grade 2 dangerous contact charge. This ruling means he will miss one game if he accepts an early guilty plea. However, if he chooses to contest the charge at the judiciary and is unsuccessful, the suspension will be extended to two games.
This latest suspension adds to the Knights’ woes, with Mooney joining a growing list of key players unavailable for selection. Star fullback Kalyn Ponga remains on the sidelines and is not expected to return until Round 10. Similarly, Dylan Brown is also out of action and is slated for a return in Round 7. Youngster Fletcher Sharpe, who has been sidelined since the Las Vegas season-opener due to a knee injury, is showing promising signs of recovery and there’s a hopeful outlook for his return next week against the Bulldogs.
A Costly Round: Fines Issued to Mitchell and Six Other Players
Trey Mooney was not the only player to face repercussions from Saturday’s matches. In total, seven players were charged across the weekend’s fixtures.
Newcastle teammates Phoenix Crossland and Dane Gagai were both issued $1000 fines for separate incidents of dangerous contact. Crossland’s charge was in relation to an incident involving Jacob Laban, while Gagai was penalised for his contact with Jackson Ford.
In other disciplinary actions, Cronulla Sharks’ Blayke Brailey also received a $1000 fine for tripping Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow during the Sharks’ defeat to the Dolphins. His teammate, Jesse Ramien, was fined $1800 for a careless high tackle.
The Wests Tigers also saw a player penalised, with hooker Api Koroisau fined $1800 for tripping Jye Gray in the Tigers’ loss to the Rabbitohs.
Perhaps one of the more high-profile incidents involved Sydney Roosters’ Latrell Mitchell, who was fined $1000 for a careless high tackle on Heamasi Makasini. The tackle occurred as Makasini was attempting to ground the ball for a try.
The Controversial Eight-Point Try
The incident involving Latrell Mitchell and Heamasi Makasini led to a rare eight-point try being awarded to the Wests Tigers. Mitchell’s attempt to dislodge the ball saw him make contact with Makasini’s face. As the foul play occurred during the act of scoring, the Tigers were granted two conversion attempts, effectively doubling their potential points from the try.
However, South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett expressed his disagreement with the ruling, suggesting that the eight-point try was an unfair penalty. Bennett argued that Mitchell’s primary intention was to play at the ball and not to deliberately target Makasini’s head.
“Latrell didn’t deliberately play at his head. He played at the ball,” Bennett stated. “He tried to get the ball and knock it out of his hands, so I thought it was harsh. 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 (unfairly).” Bennett’s comments highlight the ongoing debate surrounding the interpretation and application of rules related to foul play in the NRL, particularly when it impacts scoring opportunities. The incident has undoubtedly added another layer of discussion to an already eventful round of football.
