Wayne Bennett’s Revelation on Hip Drop Rule as Jye Gray Anticipates Tense Outcome

Wayne Bennett has voiced his bewilderment regarding the hip drop ruling, admitting he struggles to grasp its definition after Jye Gray was reported during South Sydney’s defeat against the Sharks.

In the second half, the Rabbitohs fullback tackled Siosifa Talakai and landed on the legs of the Sharks player.

“There could be some repercussions for the South Sydney fullback, particularly with how his hip rolls over Talakai,” said Mick Ennis on Fox League.

Talakai was forced to leave the field and did not return, while Gray now awaits the decision from the match review committee.

Bennett candidly shared his thoughts on the situation.

“I witnessed it. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what a hip drop actually is. I’m not being sarcastic; it’s a rather perplexing set of rules surrounding it,” Bennett commented in his press conference.

“As I mentioned, I’m not being sarcastic—I’m just not a reliable judge of hip drop tackles.”

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon characterised the hip drop tackle as “always an accidental action” and labelled the incident as “unfortunate” during his own press conference.

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Cronulla’s captain Craig McInnes also came to Gray’s defence.

“It’s about using your feet, and with Sifa being such a powerful individual, there’s always a risk because the defender isn’t committing any foul,” McInnes explained.

“He is just so strong that he breaks through the tackle. There’s really not much you can do; if you abandon the tackle and let the guy keep running, that’s not the right move for a defender either, so it’s quite challenging.”