LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
South Sydney officials are reportedly frustrated after Latrell Mitchell received a one-game suspension for his high shot on Sua Fa'alogo, while Penrith's Isaah Yeo faced no punishment for a similar hit on Tom Trbojevic.
Mitchell's action occurred during the second half and resulted in Fa'alogo being sidelined for the rest of the match.
He has the option to accept an early guilty plea, which would lead to a one-match ban during Magic Round, or contest the charge at the NRL judiciary, risking a two-game suspension if unsuccessful.
Critics, including NRL legend Cooper Cronk, have questioned the consistency of the rulings.
"We need to nail what is a sin bin and what is not," Cronk stated on Fox League, emphasizing that Yeo's tackle on Trbojevic, which drew blood, should also merit a sin bin.
Veteran journalist Paul Crawley noted that Souths officials were "privately questioning" the differing treatments of Mitchell and Yeo, labeling it "double standards." He argued that despite the focus on Mitchell's tackle, which appeared dramatic, it was fundamentally an accident, exacerbated by slippery conditions.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy and Cameron Munster defended Mitchell, describing the incident as unfortunate.
Munster said, "It's slippery out there, it's wet, there's a lot of speed, Sua's very quick, Latrell's very big.
I don't know where you want Latrell to go there."