South Sydney have piled extra distress on the Parramatta Eels within the week they sacked coach Brad Arthur, ending a six-game shedding streak in a 42-26 win on Saturday night time.
However Souths’ a lot wanted second win of the season for the cellar-dwellers has come in additional controversial scenes after one more hip drop drama erupted.
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Having raced to a 22-0 lead, the Eels lastly hit again with back-to-back tries within the thirtieth and thirty second minutes.
However it was the thirty eighth minute incident that noticed Latrell Mitchell sin binned that had tongue’s wagging.
With the Eels attacking the Rabbitohs line, Mitchell was the primary man in on a sort out on Sean Russell and put stress on the again of the centre’s leg.
Russell grabbed for his ankle however acquired to his ft to play the ball.
Two performs later after the Eels had been tackled on the final, the Bunker known as out Mitchell for a hip drop.
Fox League’s Warren Smith stated “it wasn’t a basic hip drop” but it surely didn’t change the very fact Mitchell was within the bin.
Watch within the video participant above.
At halftime, Mal Meninga stated he thought it was a hip drop.
“He’s misplaced his ft and slid down the legs and landed on younger Russell’s calves. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see the place the penalty arrives … it may very well be something, I’m not fairly positive.”
Storm captain Harry Grant advised Fox League the hip drop was “exhausting to know”.
“On the finish of the day, you’re utilizing your weight to tug them to the bottom,” he stated.
“If you happen to play it in regular time, it offers you extra understanding. However it’s a tough one and one for them to take care of.”
Social media erupted over the second nevertheless, claiming it wasn’t a hip drop sort out.
iPaper’s sport journalist John Davidson tweeted: “That appears robust on Latrell. He’s the primary man within the sort out, he doesn’t are available late on a participant who’s already locked up. Looks as if the NRL is hip-drop mad in the intervening time.”
One other fan stated: “Hopefully Latrell doesn’t get suspended. It wasn’t worse than what Val Holmes did, and Holmes acquired off.”
It leaves Mitchell ready for the match evaluate expenses from Saturday night time’s video games after he made himself obtainable for State of Origin choice.
Publish-match, Meninga stated Mitchell “didn’t slip down” and thought perhaps it will be a fantastic. Grant agreed: “I don’t assume there was an excessive amount of in that”.
However the drama wasn’t over with Mitchell’s sin bin.
In what may very well be a replay of Friday night time’s conflict between the Cowboys and Tigers, which noticed Valentine Holmes sin binned however escape with an $1800 fantastic, earlier than David Klemmer was not sin binned however given a three-week suspension, historical past repeated itself.
Within the 51st minute, Eels ahead Joe Ofahengaue carried out a hip drop on the Rabbitohs’ Sean Keppie in the course of the sector.
“There’s a hip drop and guess what’s about to occur?” Smith stated on Fox League commentary, anticipating Ofahengaue to observe Mitchell’s result in the sin bin.
“What’s going on within the NRL in 2024?”
An exasperated Corey Parker stated: “I don’t know, I don’t know.
“At no stage in my time of being concerned in soccer golf equipment and training et cetera have I ever seen coaches coach that means going into tackles.
“It’s not completed, it’s not coached that means — I don’t perceive.”
However after consulting with the Bunker, referee Chris Butler solely put Ofahengaue on report, permitting him to remain on the sector.
“That is what frustrates so many,” Parker stated. “Take a look on the crowd, they’re up on their ft. It frustrates the residing daylights out of the gang, out of the spectators.”
Most individuals felt sorry for Mitchell after his first half sin bin.
When asking the referee in regards to the name, Mitchell threw his palms within the air earlier than carrying on with the kick for contact.
Smith stated: “Latrell Mitchell, he’s incensed, he can’t imagine it — and albeit, neither are you able to and I.”
Followers couldn’t imagine what they had been seeing.
Bloke in a Bar podcast producer Matt Buxton tweeted: “That hip drop was considerably worse than Latrell’s. At minimal it was the very same. How the fk isn’t that within the bin? Critically what are we doing. Zero consistency within the 1 sport. No surprise followers are so annoyed.”
“I do know I’m a Parra fan however how was he not Sin Binned for that hip drop however Latrell Mitchell was? Good to see the officers are as inconsistent within the NRL as they’re over right here,” one fan wrote.
One other commented: “I can’t stand Latrell Mitchell, however significantly, he has each proper to be hacked off. How does he get binned for a hip drop and Joe O stays on?! @NRL officiating is a multitude.”
However the Rabbitohs made the many of the penalty, going up 28-16 and working away with a late shootout as each side scored two tries apiece within the last 16 minutes.
For the Eels, it’s one other brutal loss, the aspect’s fifth in a row.
It’s notably brutal for the Eels after the membership parted methods with head coach Arthur, who was in his eleventh yr within the position.
