Latrell Mitchell faces an NRL fine after he was charged over the collision that left Josh Addo-Carr with a concussion in the Good Friday clash between South Sydney and Canterbury.
Mitchell was hit with a grade one dangerous contact charge by the match review committee on Saturday after his hip struck Addo-Carr in South Sydney’s 20-16 win on Good Friday.
Racing in to make a cover tackle, the South Sydney defender collided with the Canterbury winger when Isaiah Tass brought him down the wing just before half-time.
Addo-Carr fell face first to the ground after Mitchell slid across the try line and picked up Addo-Carr’s head at an awkward angle.
Mitchell showed immediate concern for his close friend, pulling his injured shoulder out of an awkward position and protesting against attempts to pull him away from Bulldogs rower Viliame Kikau, who hit Mitchell in the back of the head.
Referee Gerard Sutton could be heard telling the bunker that the contact appeared “incidental”, but the match review committee deemed the challenge dangerous and worthy of a charge.
Mitchell is not at risk of missing games because of the charge and can accept a fine of $1,800 if he pleads guilty early or $2,500 if he resists and loses.
Addo-Carr, who has just returned from two weeks out with a shoulder injury sustained in the first round, was walking the bench after half-time and with Mitchell after the game, but will miss next Friday’s clash against the Sydney Roosters.
Canterbury trade prop Kurtis Morrin is also likely to miss the clash against the Roosters and faces a three-game suspension for a dangerous throw on Cameron Murray.
Morrin was sent to the sin bin in the second half as a result of the tackle, and can reduce his ban to two games with an early guilty plea.
Morrin’s impending suspension comes as Canterbury second rower Jacob Preston faces the prospect of a time-out after scans showed a broken jaw following the defeat.
Preston was involved in a collision with South Sydney’s Shaquai Mitchell and remained down for an extended period while trainers checked his jaw.
He passed an HIA and returned to the field, later telling reporters he was “very sweet” after the inning.
But scans confirmed a small fracture on Saturday, meaning he could miss a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Souths center Jack Wighton avoided a charge after suggestions of an early hip-drop tackle on Preston.
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AAP
