Share and Follow
Mitch Barnett will not play six matches for the Newcastle Knights as decided by the NRL judiciary.
He has been punished over a controversial sent-off in his side’s loss to the Panthers in Bathurst on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
Following the match, Barnett deliberately tried to injure Penrith forward Chris Smith.
The Knight forward was referred to the judiciary on a dangerous contact charge. He has been pleaded guilty on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
Newcastle’s Mitch Barnett cops a 6-game ban at the #NRL judiciary for “reckless dangerous contact”.
DETAILS ?: https://t.co/dxt1rHWpoh pic.twitter.com/a3saDEfULk
Read Related Also: Linda Ruth Williams: Who Is She? Mark Kermode and his wife are celebrating 30 years of marriage.
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) March 29, 2022
After the decision, Barnett has said: “The point I want to get across is there is a difference between being deliberate and being careless,”
“I accept the punishment for careless, but there is no way I went out there to deliberately assault someone,”
In his defense, Barnett also says that he had seen Smith late and put out a “bumper” to protect himself from getting injured.
The Knights forward will be missing his side’s round-four match against South Sydney. He will be absent in the scenes until the tenth round.
