Mitch Barnett will miss the next six games for the Newcastle Knights due to his suspension. On March 26, 2022, he threw a reckless elbow at Chris Smith.
Mitch Barnett
Mitch Barnett is a professional rugby league footballer from Australia. He is now a lock and second-row forward with the Newcastle Knights.
The rugby player has made headlines following his six-match suspension in the NRL. He was found guilty of reckless harmful contact by the NRL Judiciary.
Details on Mitch Barnett’s Suspension: What Did He Do?
The NRL court has decided that Mitch Barnett will miss six games for the Newcastle Knights.
On Saturday, March 26, 2022, he was fined for a disputed sending-off in his team’s loss against the Panthers in Bathurst.
Following the game, Barnett attempted to harm Penrith forward Chris Smith on purpose.
On a charge of dangerous contact, the Knight forward was submitted to the courts. On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, he entered a guilty plea.
“The point I want to get across is there is a difference between being deliberate and being reckless,” Barnett stated after the verdict.”
“I accept the penalty for being careless, but there is no way I would go out there and purposefully assault someone.”
In his defence, Barnett claims he noticed Smith was late and put out a “bumper” to defend himself from injury.
The Knights forward will miss his team’s match against South Sydney in round four. Until the eighth round, he will be missing from the scenes.
Knights Forward Mitch Barnett Elbow Attack On Panthers Chris Smith Explained
In Newcastle’s 38-20 loss to Penrith in Round 3, Mitch Barnett used a heavy and reckless elbow on Chris Smith.
In the 33rd minute of the game, we can plainly see Barnett hitting Smith hard on the head on the foul film.
For his raised forearm and direct impact with the skull, match official Peter Gough was quick to give him his marching orders.
Following the NRL game, Barnett apologised to Panthers second-rower Chris Smith. At the very least, this contributed in the getting of a less severe punishment.
Meanwhile, Warren Smith described the episode as a “total brain explosion” in his comments. It was a “moment of lunacy,” according to Benji Marshall.
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