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Mitchell among three Good Friday NRL charges

The match review committee have slapped three players with charges.

Published by
Scott Pryde

Latrell Mitchell will escape with a fine after being charged for dangerous contact by the NRL's match review committee.

On the stroke of halftime in the South Sydney Rabbitohs' Good Friday clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs, Mitchell arrived late on the scene in attempting to prevent Canterbury Bulldogs' winger Josh Addo-Carr from scoring a try.

While the winger had already been bundled into touch by South Sydney centre Isaiah Tass, Mitchell was slightly out of control as he covered in defence, and his hip made contact with the head of Addo-Carr.

The Canterbury winger took no further part in the game after being ruled out by the NRL's independent doctor on Category 1 concussion symptoms.

Mitchell wasn't penalised or placed on report at the time, meaning Canterbury couldn't activate 18th man Blake Wilson, but the star fullback has now been hit with a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge by the NRL's match review committee.

The Grade 1 charge - which is a second offence on Mitchell's rolling 12-month record - will see him pay an $1800 fine with an early guilty plea, or $2500 if he heads to the judiciary and loses a challenge.

The only player to be suspended out of Good Friday was Canterbury interchange forward Kurtis Morrin, who was sin binned for a dangerous throw on South Sydney and New South Wales Blues lock Cameron Murray.

Despite it being a first offence, the Grade 2 dangerous throw charge will see Morrin suspended for two games with an early guilty plea, or three if he fights and loses.

Canterbury fullback Blake Taaffe was the only other player charged from Good Friday, cited for Grade 1 dangerous contact against Jack Wighton in the first half. As a first offence on his record, he will be eligible for a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea or $1500 if he fights and loses.

That also means Jack Wighton has not been charged despite claims of a hip drop tackle on Jacob Preston. The NRL's head of football told Fox Sports during Friday's broadcast that Wighton would likely have no case to answer given he landed on the ground in making the tackle, rather than Preston's legs.

No other charges from that game, or from the later Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys clash, were handed out by the match review committee.

Morrin, Mitchell and Taaffe have until midday (AEDT) on Sunday to determine whether they will take early guilty pleas or proceed directly to the judiciary, with any potential hearings to be heard on Tuesday evening.

Published by
Scott Pryde