Andrew Johns Urges Sin Bin Reform Amid High Shot Controversy Involving Latrell Mitchell and Ryan Papenhuyzen

Latrell Mitchell may be facing a spell on the sidelines following a harsh delayed high tackle on Sualauvi Faalogo during the Rabbitohs’ 24-16 defeat to the Storm.

The incident occurred in the 49th minute when Mitchell’s arm made contact with Faalogo’s head, who was attempting to pass the ball out wide.

“Oh, Latrell Mitchell. He could be in a lot of trouble,” Andrew Johns commented on Nine.

“Latrell Mitchell just spear tackles Faalogo, who is looking for Tyran Wishart inside.”

This spear tackle effectively ended Faalogo’s participation in the Anzac Day clash, as he was subsequently substituted and did not pass the head injury assessment.

After the rough tackle, Mitchell quickly got back on his feet and made no attempt to argue against the referee’s decision to banish him from the field.

Referee Peter Gough stated that the tackle involved “direct contact with moderate force.”

“I think a couple of things worked against Latrell in that situation,” Billy Slater commented.

“Firstly, the conditions were quite slippery, and secondly, the intensity with which he entered the tackle didn’t help his case either.

“So unfortunately, he finds himself off the field for ten minutes.”

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This incident marks the 13th occasion in Mitchell’s career that he has been sin-binned, reinforcing his unwanted status as the player with the most sin bins in the league’s history.

Mitchell wasn’t the sole Rabbitoh in hot water, as Bayleigh Bentley-Hape was also reported for a high tackle on Wishart.

The NRL’s crackdown on high tackles has stirred heated discussions in recent weeks, with Johns advocating for a reduction in penalty time for such offences in the future.

The legendary Johns highlighted that in the opening game of the round, four players were sin-binned for high tackling.

As Ryan Papenhuyzen received his own sin bin punishment in the 71st minute for a similar infringement against Souths youngster Jye Gray, Johns suggested a potential modification to the sin bin ruling.

“For high tackles like these, we should consider a five-minute sin bin,” he proposed.

“If he hadn’t challenged [the penalty call], he wouldn’t have found himself in the bin.

“Without a doubt, professional fouls should result in ten minutes in the bin, but those high tackles they are cracking down on should only warrant five minutes.”

Papenhuyzen’s stint in the sin bin allowed Jack Wighton to score twice, narrowing the deficit against the home side. However, it wasn’t sufficient to alter the Rabbitohs’ ongoing struggles against the Storm on their home turf.

The Rabbitohs entered the match with hopes of ending a 26-year losing streak on Victorian soil, managing to present a tough challenge for the local stars early on.

Wighton and Papenhuyzen both opened the scoring for their teams in the first 15 minutes before Xavier Coates and Bentley-Hape also added their names to the score sheet.

Eliesa Katoa made a brilliant 20m run to score in the 42nd minute, with Wishart following suit in the 65th.

This result marked the Storm’s 20th consecutive victory over the Rabbitohs on Victorian soil and Craig Bellamy’s 14th win against a team coached by Wayne Bennett.