South Sydney are reportedly furious over what they see as inconsistent officiating. Club officials are believed to be upset after Latrell Mitchell received a one-match ban for a high shot on Sua Fa’alogo, while Penrith’s Isaah Yeo avoided any sanction despite striking Tom Trbojevic across the nose. Mitchell was sin-binned for the second-half tackle, which ended Fa’alogo’s involvement in the game, and was later charged with dangerous contact by the NRL match review committee.
As a result, Mitchell will miss one game — including Magic Round — with an early guilty plea, or risk a two-game suspension if he contests the charge and loses. However, many, including NRL great Cooper Cronk, questioned why Mitchell was penalized so harshly while Yeo faced no consequences for his hit, which left Trbojevic bleeding.
“We need to be clear on what constitutes a sin bin,” Cronk said on Fox League. “Yeo hit Trbojevic square on the nose, and while there were mitigating circumstances with Latrell’s tackle, Yeo’s should also have warranted a sin bin based on current standards.”
Veteran journalist Paul Crawley reported that Souths officials were “quietly questioning” why Yeo wasn’t punished similarly, calling it “double standards” by the NRL. Crawley noted that while Mitchell’s tackle looked dramatic, in real-time it appeared more accidental, with wet conditions causing Fa’alogo to slip just before contact. Meanwhile, Yeo’s hit was only deemed worthy of a penalty, further fuelling accusations of inconsistency.
Even Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy and star Cameron Munster defended Mitchell, labelling the incident an unfortunate accident. Munster emphasized how difficult it is to pull out of a committed tackle, especially in slippery conditions, and stressed the need for consistency across decisions.
The broader NRL community has also slammed the lack of consistency in policing high tackles. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Rabbitohs are considering legal advice on whether to contest Mitchell’s suspension. Rugby league legend Andrew Johns criticized the growing trend of sending players to the sin bin, calling the approach “farcical” and saying it had gone “beyond a joke.”
Johns argued that the bunker should only intervene for clear send-off offences or try-scoring reviews, blasting its involvement in minor incidents missed by on-field officials. His comments came after Manly’s Siua Taukei’aho and Tigers’ Fonua Pole were both sin-binned several plays after their high tackles were belatedly picked up by the bunker. Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold added that the current system appeared inconsistent, with similar incidents receiving vastly different outcomes.
