A visibly frustrated Wayne Bennett has expressed his dissatisfaction following a tackle on Brandon Smith, which has sidelined the new Rabbitohs recruit for a period of six to eight weeks.
Smith, who was making his comeback from an ACL injury sustained during his time at the Roosters, was on the receiving end of a high tackle from Manly’s Jake Simpkin, with Matt Lodge targeting his legs from behind.
The Rabbitohs star appeared to be in considerable pain, clutching his lower leg as he struggled to play the ball. The game was stopped shortly after the subsequent tackle.
“He’s clutching his ankle, which is a relief. It might have just given him a bit of a fright,” Phil Gould mentioned on Nine.
Wayne Bennett expressed disappointment over the lack of a penalty for the tackle on Brandon Smith. Nine/NRL
However, Bennett later confirmed that the injury was more severe than initially thought, revealing it to be a medial ligament issue.
“He’ll be out for around six to eight weeks,” Bennett stated after the match.
After a brief pause, he added: “from that tackle.”
“It’s up to them to make a call now, but we haven’t been benefitting from much luck, and we didn’t get that call either,” he stated.
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When asked whether he believed it was a hip-drop tackle, Bennett preferred not to commit to a specific answer.
“Form your own opinion on it,” he remarked.
“I’m feeling frustrated about many aspects at the moment, which isn’t particularly helpful for me.”
Despite his frustrations, Bennett managed to find some silver lining, noting that Smith’s absence for only two months was a preferable outcome considering his previous lengthy recovery period.
“I think he can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
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