Latrell Mitchell has denied milking penalties during Sunday’s fiery elimination final, but admits the “Bunker’s taken over the game” in a telling insight into how players may act on an NRL field.
The blockbuster clash at Allianz Stadium descended into chaos as a record seven sin-bins and 15 penalties were blown by referee Ashley Klein and his official in the video review Bunker.
The review official has the power to examine on-field incidents and then advise the referee to take action, even if the game has continued for several plays.
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This happened more than once on Sunday. Roosters firebrand Victor Radley was sin-binned when the Bunker spotted a soft punch to a South Sydney player’s head, despite Klein being further up the field where play was continuing.
In his column for Wide World of Sports on Monday, NRL great Paul Gallen called for the Bunker to have less power to interfere while play is ongoing – an opinion that is shared and has been voiced by a number of the game’s legends over the years.
Mitchell – who was the subject of a number of high-contact penalties against Roosters players during the final – laughed off the suggestion he milked any, but says there’s no doubt players understand the Bunker is inclined to award penalties even for relatively minor offences.
“I play the game hard and tough, and honestly I’ve never felt the forces (to my head) that (those hits from the Roosters) brought – I think they were head-hunting a little bit,” Mitchell told media on Tuesday.
“But at the end of the day that’s rugby league, and if the Bunker doesn’t see it and ref doesn’t see it… that’s the game.
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“I didn’t do anything, I didn’t lay down, I got up on my knee and pretty much looked at the ref and was like ‘what’s going on?’.
“But that’s the game of rugby league at the moment… we don’t lay down for penalties, we don’t look for them.
“The Bunker’s taken over the game, so I guess that’s how the game is played. It is what it is.”
Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns is one who has consistently voiced his frustration at the level of the Bunker’s influence on NRL games.
He says if the NRL insists on using the video review technology, it should be limited to try-scoring situations and not general play.
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Mitchell says he doesn’t have an issue with the number of sin-bins and penalties handed down, as long as they’re delivered in a fair manner for both teams.
“It’s semi-final footy, the ref likes to put the whistle away a little but, and that’s how it should be,” he said.
“You’ve just got to be consistent in a way where it works for both sides.”
The Rabbitohs will take on the Sharks in another do-or-die clash on Saturday night.
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