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NRL 2021: Match official stood down in fallout from Latrell Mitchell shoulder charge

Jasper Bruce NCA NewsWire
Mitchell will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Image: Fox Sports
Camera IconMitchell will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Image: Fox Sports Credit: FOX SPORTS

Bunker official Henry Perenara has been stood down after what coach Trent Robinson said was a “laughable” refereeing display in the Roosters’ loss to South Sydney.

The Roosters mastermind unleashed on Perenara for choosing not to stop the game when a Latrell Mitchell shoulder charge left Joseph Manu in pain on the ground.

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Manu was later taken to hospital for emergency surgery on a fractured cheekbone. For his part, Mitchell spent ten minutes in the sin bin but was permitted to return to the field later in the second half.

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Robinson said the referees “didn’t know what they were doing” and took particular aim at Perenara.

“Henry Perenara in the bunker didn’t stop play. Ashley (Klein) asked them to play on and then the players went at it again. Then they missed it again,” Robinson fumed.

“Perenara is up in the box (and) doesn’t do a thing about it for 30, 40, 50 seconds. It is a common theme this year about the NRL and bunker not looking after our players.

“How do you send that for ten in the bin? A guy will finish the year based on a late shot to the head, and it’s ten minutes in the bin? You cannot make decisions, if that’s your decision.

“Get out of there. If you can’t do it, get out of there. Or just get rid of it (the bunker) completely. Get rid of it completely. If you cannot do the job, get out of there. It’s shown that the NRL bunker cannot do their job this year. It’s been a farce, an absolute farce.”

The chorus of disapproval sang out on social media as well, where NRL pundits called for action from the league.

The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield tweeted: “The NRL cannot allow Latrell Mitchell to play again this year. It was both reckless and deliberate. Can’t believe he got only 10 minutes. It’s a disgrace.

“The person in the bunker and the referee need to be stood down for as long as Latrell is suspended. Steve Chiddy, who missed the Kaufusi hit on Matterson, was stood down for a month. The same should happen.”

On Saturday, Robinson and co. got their wish, with the NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley confirming that Perenara would no longer preside over Parramatta’s clash with Melbourne on Saturday night.

“Henry was due to officiate on one of the games later today,” Annesley told radio station 4BC.

“That won’t be happening, he has been relegated from that game.

“What happens beyond this weekend we haven’t turned our mind to at this stage.

“Certainly based on what happened last night, our expectations and also the pressure that is on him today as a result of last night, it would not have been the right thing to have him officiate tonight.”

The NRL is yet to confirm whether Perenara will be reinstated for round 25.

Annesley also said he believed Mitchell should have been sent off for the hit.

“I think it should have resulted in a dismissal,” Annesley told 2GB.

“Obviously I can’t dissect the incident in great detail because there is a judiciary process underway and Latrell has got the opportunity to defend the charge if he so chooses.

“But I think it is fair to say that based on what happened last night, in our view and regardless of what might happen at the judiciary process, the bunker took the wrong option of a sin bin.”

Cowboys
Camera IconHealth concerns forced Perenara to retire from on-field refereeing earlier this season. Alix Sweeney Credit: News Corp Australia

On Saturday morning, the match review committee hit Mitchell with a grade two reckless high tackle charge.

The sanction carries a five-match ban as its base penalty, but the star Rabbitoh’s prior record means he will miss six games if he takes the early guilty plea.

If he unsuccessfully pleads his case at the NRL judiciary, he will be rubbed out for nine.

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett said the Rabbitohs could still win the premiership without their fullback.

“He is a huge player for us. We didn’t have him last year in the play-offs and we are a better team than we were last year,” Bennett said.

“We are pretty good at getting other players to play well for us and put them in key positions.

“We have won a lot of games this year with a lot of players missing. Latrell missed a month of football earlier in the season, and one after the Origin. Our greatest strength this year has been the squad and I will have to rely on the squad to get the job done.

“I am confident there is enough good players to make it happen for us. It just makes it a little bit harder for us.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Match official stood down in fallout from Latrell Mitchell shoulder charge

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